Week 14- Gaming as a Learning Tool

This week in class we discussed using games as a learning tool. With the ever expanding technology, teaching has grown from being limited to books and papers to include many new and innovative ways to convey lessons. Using games to teach students lessons or improve skills like memory is a great way to allow kids to learn while they are having fun. Children like to see their progress and playing games that have multiple levels and will allow them to set goals for themselves and reach them. I remember playing games when I was young to improve my skills in different areas. I had to find tiles that matched each other from a pile of them facing down. This improved my memory. For math skills I remember having to help a chef calculate how much the bill was for each table at his restaurant. Using games is also great because you can create a game to teach almost any subject, from math to English to music, to art. In fact, not only does using games online help children in the particular subject matter of that game, it also helps their technology skills that are now so crucial to have in life. It is important to note however, gaming is not a substitute for education, but a tool to enhance it.

While some games are educational, others sometimes blur the line between reality and fiction. Games such as Second Life or World of Warcraft which are role-playing games allow users to create an alter-ego. Sometimes though people get lost in their character and forget that there is a life past the computer screen. I read an article where a woman divorce her real life husband because he "had and affair" in Second Life even though he was loyal to her in reality. We all like to be distracted from life sometimes but when gaming becomes an obsession it is probably time to cut back. I think it is a little extreme that countries have embassies in second life. It's hard to imagine that someones job is only to stay on second life and answer questions about their country.

Telecommunication is not really related to gaming. The only similarity would be that in some games there is a plot or storyline that the user follows and advances on throughout the game. As a telecom. major, we sometimes have to come up with storylines that are creative and get the attention of the user. Whether the plot is in a game, commercial, or movie the only way the medium will be successful is if people are entertained.

This article I found does a good job of explaining how video games can teach children. It discusses how even children with ADHD who typically have a difficult time paying attention are able to play these games without distraction. Games offer something that normal teaching doesn't. Kids can read the screen which has directions for them which improves their reading ability.