Society has mixed feelings about the youth gaming culture. It’s been a
topical debate in the news for decades and, whether we want to admit it or not,
the debate is slowly growing in the education sector. Where, if at all, does gaming
fit in to educating young people?
Science Daily claims “Game
advocates are calling for a sweeping transformation of conventional education
to replace traditional curricula with game-based instruction.”
The article goes on to list
features which, according to researchers Richard E Mayer, could “substantially
improve student performance”:
- Putting words in
conversational style rather than formal style
- Putting words in
spoken form rather than printed form
- Adding prompts to
explain key points in the game
- Adding advice or
explanations at key points in the game
- Adding pregame
activities that describe key components of the game
Mayer
does, however, apply limitation to the ways in which games can improve
cognitive development, "Overall, cognitive consequences research does
not support claims for broad transfer of game playing to performance on
cognitive skill tests," Mayer wrote. "That is, no sufficient evidence
supports the claim that playing computer games can improve one's mind in general." (2016)
Are games
something that should be encouraged in the classroom? Surely people of the post
digital revolution generation spend enough time staring at screens and playing
in the dark confines of bedrooms?
According
to a study published by (NYU) New York University “Math video games can enhance
students’ motivation to learn, but it may depend on how students play” (2013)
“We found
support for claims that well-designed games can motivate students to learn less
popular subjects, such as math, and that game-based learning can actually get
students interested in the subject matter—and can broaden their focus beyond
just collecting stars or points,” says Jan Plass, a professor in NYU’s
Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Considering
the views of both Mayer and Plass, the conclusion we can come to is that games
have a place in educating young people, but only in certain areas. We shouldn’t
start chucking Jane Austen novels out of the window and replacing them with “The
Darcy Party Game”, in which students simply play through literature problems
via their digital device.
When
teaching STEM subjects, however, there is a real place for games in learning. Platforms
such as VLEs and app based learning on tablets or mobiles could become an
excellent way to increase the number of teachers embracing this, essentially
classic and yet, progressive learning technique. By integrating learning
based games into the VLE or going direct to the game app, teachers could then
lead students through a mosaic of learning styles which include and incorporate
games.