Did you know that you can learn Math, Science, and History through video games? We’ll tell you how they can be applied to education.
Any object that has mass exerts an attraction on another object. This is Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravitation and, oddly enough, applies to the game Angry Birds. Of course, video games are not just a means of entertainment that help you disconnect from a hard day at school or work, they are also educational tools.
Benefits of video games for education
Video games have become increasingly popular over the years, with more and more people taking up gaming as a form of entertainment. But what about video games as learning tools? Is it possible to learn from them?
The answer is yes! Video games can be used in many different ways to help improve learning outcomes. For instance, they can be used to develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and even teach academic concepts such as math or science. Research has also shown that playing video games can improve hand-eye coordination and reaction time.
In addition to the educational benefits of video games, there are also other advantages to consider such as increased collaboration and social interaction when playing together with friends or family members. Furthermore, certain video games can be used to help build confidence and self-esteem in children. The service can help students who are having difficulty with their studies as well, making it easier to write college assignments and improve academic performance.
Facts proven by research
Venezuelan professor José Carmona realized the potential of computer games in teaching Math, Physics and other school subjects, and in 2010 created a teaching method called Interactive Math. The goal is for children to learn Math through the use of computer games and social media. It started with the use of the Wii during Physical Education classes, which soon demonstrated the presence of an element of motivation that was not present in other teaching methods.
The innovative teaching style of this young Venezuelan instructor is a unique mix of Physics and Mathematics combined with FIFA from EA Sports. Here, soccer matches become the perfect platform for importing physical science concepts such as speed, time, and distance to students. Also using this game, he explains Statistics as students have to change players based on their performance, accuracy or speed. Carmona explains that in this way, students perform “inferences and logical reasoning,” and thus develop the ability to control the game by percentages and statistics. Other games, such as Need for Speed, serve to teach some of the laws of Physics (straight-line uniform motion to calculate the distance a car travels).
Also experts from the University of Huelva argue that computer games are useful for learning Social Sciences, and they have become a tool for information. In particular, they say games such as Age of Empires, Caesar, Empire Earth or Sim City are useful for disciplines such as History, Politics, Geography, Economics, Urban Planning or the Environment. Ultimately, strategy, adventure and simulation games force the player to solve the problem that arises.
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The use of serious games in learning process
In recent years, many computer didactic games have been created, so-called serious games, which aim to educate players. Despite the attempts to keep students engaged during class, Jean-Baptiste Hein – an engineer and professor of mathematics – noticed that they were still lacking interest. In response, he created the game DragonBox as a way to inspire them. Since 2012, his game has succeeded in motivating children ages five and up while learning math.
In Twelve a dozen, the player transforms into the number 12 and must save the city of Dozenopolis from the threat of the Ultimate Porst Number through addition, subtraction, other mathematical calculations and puzzles. This game from Bossa Studios, in collaboration with Amplify Education, takes children ages eleven to fourteen into a fictional universe that exists inside a calculator. A world overflowing with numbers, and the player must save this world from the coming danger.
Fans of World of Warcraft will be happy to know that an American physics professor, Sean Young, created a role-playing game in 2013 to be used as a teaching technique. Classcraft is a game the young professor, along with his brother Devin and his father Lauren, came up with as a tool-helper for teachers, and as motivation for students. Mutual collaboration and respectful behavior among students is crucial in the classroom, as it directly contributes to their team’s earned experience points (XP) or health points (HP). Depending on how well they work together, this may be advantageous or deleterious for their group. Each team has warriors, mages, and healers, and each character has special abilities that are used to help their comrades and to get good scores. Classcraft tries, ultimately, to turn the classroom into a role-playing game where the teacher becomes the Game Master and where students are motivated to actively participate.
Games that promote learning
Computer games satisfy three basic needs: the desire to be independent, the desire to overcome difficulties, and the need to communicate with others. And these three are necessary for students in the classroom to develop positively. Therefore, experts from the International University of Rioja (UNIR) have provided a list of video games that, while not serious games, promote learning. The iconic game Minecraft is one of them. So the Minecraft Edu platform was even created to show educators how to properly integrate this game in the classroom.
The benefits of gamification are essential to the education and learning of children, and even adults. The UNIR list also includes games such as Assassin’s Creed, because it creates a very detailed historical environment, or Fallout 4, which stimulates decision-making.
Summing Up
There is still much work to be done to introduce computer games into classrooms, but in the meantime, children and adults can continue to learn through classic and new games. Video games as learning tools are no longer fiction, they are here and actually work to keep students engaged while teaching them important skills. From math to history and problem-solving, video games offer a unique way to learn in an inspiring environment. Students can also use different resources to get help with writing essays and research papers for college or university, allowing them to learn more effectively.
