Positive Effects of Video Games on Learning

934 Words2 Pages

Nowadays, video games are frequently accused of having detrimental effects on children and adolescents. The main arguments against video games are that they lead to addiction, that they provoke violence, and that they impair social development. Whether or not such claims are true has not been determined with certainty as scientific studies have produced contradictory results. Nevertheless, video games also have beneficial effects, which tend to be underrated, as they do not receive the same level of media coverage that adverse ones do, and are thus unknown to the general public. Some of the positive effects of playing video games on mental development include: stimulating analytical thinking, improving concentration, and encouraging planning and anticipation (“Video game controversies”). I have been playing video games since I was in kindergarten and I believe that they have been invaluable to my intellectual development. I owe about one third of my English vocabulary to video games. Strategy games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology have taught me planning and resource management, as well as a great deal about the history and culture of human civilizations. Shooters such as Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament have taught me how to quickly make decisions while under stress, and have enhanced my hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation. Adventure and puzzle games such as Darksiders and Minesweeper have taught me problem solving and logical reasoning, in addition to improving my ability to concentrate and greatly increasing my perseverance. The concept of “edutainment”- the hybrid of education and entertainment has existed almost as long as video games have. Evidence of this is The Oregon Trail, a game about the colo... ... middle of paper ... ...n extensive vocabulary and it is grammatically accurate. As with all Wikipedia articles, its content is user-generated, but the quality of the writing suggests that the authors are well-educated. The article was created in 2003, but the numerous recent sources in the reference list imply that it has been regularly updated up until May 2014. Works Cited Brown, Harry. Videogames and Education. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. Web. Michael, David and Sande Chen. Serious Games: Games That Educate, Train, and Inform. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology, 2005. Web. Mileham, Rebecca. Powering Up: Are Computer Games Changing Our Lives?. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008. Web. Rutter, Jason and Jo Bryce. Understanding Digital Games. London: Sage Publications, 2006. Web. “Video game controversies.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 May 2014. Web. 2 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Will Wright Dream Machine Summary

    1776 Words  | 4 Pages

    “Most reported effects of videogames – particularly in the popular press – appear to centre upon the alleged negative consequences… Research has consistently shown that playing computer games (irrespective of genre) produces reductions in reaction times, improved hand-eye co-ordination and raises players’ self-esteem,” (Griffiths p. 47), states Mark Griffiths in his article, “The educational benefits of videogames”. When people think of video games, they often tend to think about the negative side effects that video games can have on a person. Will Wright in his article, “Dream Machines” also defends video games by providing positive effects that video games have on those who play them. Wright presents

    Read More

  • Brain Candy By Steven Johnson Analysis

    1164 Words  | 3 Pages

    Video games do not make us more intelligent. They may however, make us more prone to violence and sex. Video games are preventing us from screening out distractions and making thinking deeply a difficult task. Our brains become overwhelmed when multitasking. Moreover, Johnson states “... a modern video game can take forty hours to complete”. Forty hours keep kids from homework and as Rachael Rettner states in livescience, “The results show that boys given a PlayStation II are slower to progress in their reading and writing skills and have more learning problems reported by their teachers than those not given a system”. The sole reason studies come back positive for video games being productive is due to the fact that they test a regular video gamer with a non-gamer. Regular video gamers will do better in the study because the more they play, the better they get. Not many realize the effect of these “fully realized imaginary worlds”, it is making it harder for people to differentiate their virtual life with their real

    Read More

  • Violent Video Games and Bad Behavior

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    At this day in age we bask in the luxury of having easy access to advanced technology at our disposal. From the World Wide Web, to cell phones, music, movies and video games the human race has thought of any and everything to keep us entertained. Over the years studies have shown reasonable concerns regarding the long-term effects of video games. These games can desensitize gamers to real life violence, which is usually seen in the younger crowd. The studies especially hit on the games containing player-on-player violence. Though these games are extremely entertaining and can get kids to settle down for a while, if not properly supervised, they can produce adverse effects. Other studies have shown that video games can be used as way to yield positive outcomes such as, good problem solving skills, cooperation in a group and the ability to flow. Although there has been psychological research on children learning through the actions of others some believe that children are automatically able to distinguish between what is just a game and what is reality. The longer they are allowed on their game system the more they become convinced that their games are real. Some researchers believe violent video games can channel the aggression of the child but the parents are to blame for what happens to the child after playing an excessive amount over a period of time. Children can become preoccupied with these violent video games which have been proven to be the cause of poor social skills, uncontrollable aggression and a false reality.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: Persuasive Video Games

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    Videogames are amazing they promote creativity, team-work and social interaction. Video games actually work to increase how good your eyesight is. One study done by scientist’s Daphne Bavelier and her team found that playing five to fifteen hours of action games (e.g., Call of Duty) a week increased how good the participants vision was in two ways "The first way is that they 're actually able to resolve small detail in the context of clutter… The other way that they are better is actually being able to resolve different levels of grey”. Sure games have violence in them but honestly what doesn’t, films and TV are chock full of it, heck even Tom and Jerry promote violence and animal abuse plus there is a reason that those big shiny red “18” stickers are put on games so that it is clearly shown that children aren 't supposed to be given access to these specific types of game. As for the “waste of time” nothing is really a waste of time if you gain something from it such as

    Read More

  • How Technology Effects Children

    3455 Words  | 7 Pages

    By far the largest concern of technology today is video games. There have been so many experiments and studies to try and figure out if video games have a negative or positive effect on our children. A growing body of research is linking violent video game play to aggressive cognitive, attitudes and behaviors (D.A. Gentile, 2004). Video games can obviously be dangerous for our children causing aggression, bad performances in school and obesity. Although we cant blame all of these problems on the use of video game...

    Read More

  • Are Gamers Are Urgently Optimistic In The Face Of Failure?

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    There has been extensive research done on the topic of adding video games to education to see if there were any benefits. In my opinion I feel that video games are a wonderful teaching tool used to help mold the minds of young ones through repetition. In his journal Alshaiji stated “Educational Video Games are activities that provide students the opportunity to reinforce the previous knowledge by repeating it in a more comfortable environment. They are software that helps students to learn the lesson subjects and to develop their problem-solving skills by using their desire and enthusiasm to play (Ang &Zaphiris, 2008)

    Read More

  • Video Games in Education

    1642 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the Early 70’s video games have been giving a bad name. Parents state that video games rot the minds of children and are influencing them do be violent. These accusations are far from the truth. In my research I found that there are many positive effects of gaming. Some of these effects are increased skills, creativity, general knowledge, and also help those in need. Parents can also take proper precautions and look into a game before buying it to see if it meets the criteria discussed in this paper.

    Read More

  • Video Games as a Learning Tool

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are several negative stereotypes associated with video games and those who play them; some of these may often hold true. However, there are plenty of learning opportunities in video games. While the direct purpose of some games is to educate or train, other games that do not directly have this purpose can still become a learning experience for the player. As Ntiedo Etuk, president of the educational video game company Tabula Digital said, “The traditional view of video games has been that they are distractions from the task of learning” (Electronic Education Report 1). Video games are an effective tool for learning and retaining skills both inside and outside the classroom environment. The basic cycle of game play--the introduction to the game, game play, collaboration, improvement of these between each round, and evaluation at the end of the game (Klievink and Janssen 159)--are nearly parallel to the traditional classroom learning cycle of reading a textbook or listening to a lecture, taking a quiz, studying, focusing on items missed on the quiz, and taking a test or exam. Within this cycle, there are many opportunities to develop and perfect both educational, life, and occupational skills.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Video Game Violence on Physiological Desensitization to Real-life Violence

    2769 Words  | 6 Pages

    Most people think that video games are harmful and waste of time. As a result, the main question of the research is how video games can influence on children and many minor questions come to mind about video games: Do video games influence a child’s psychological development and make them more aggressive and violent? Do video games affect a child’s grades? What are the influences of video games on children? Many people don’t have much information about video games and how video games may effect on people’s behavior, health and mind.

    Read More

  • The Development of Video Games

    2834 Words  | 6 Pages

    Presently, video games aren’t merely toys that negatively influence the youth. They have become an alternative means for people to learn and train for work. Games teach values and essential information, and motivate its players to achieve goals. Soldiers and doctors benefit from video games as well. The collaboration of game developers and educators helps improve the quality of educational games. At present, as technology progresses, one can truly see that video games have become an important factor in learning.

    Read More

  • Benefits of Playing Video Games

    1776 Words  | 4 Pages

    Video games have been argued about for decades. Some people have argued that video games are linked to violence. However, new research shows that video games can be used for therapeutic purposes, exercise, stress relievers, positive interactive learning, hand eye coordination, and different types of patient treatment for people all around the world.

    Read More

  • Effects of Video Games on Children and Teenagers

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    One way in which video games can be beneficial is by supporting individuals’ intellectual development in the areas of problem solving and logic. Games like Cut the Rope, Angry Birds and The Incredible Machine require players to solve a puzzle under time limited conditions. When people are playing these games, they practice their critical thinking skills and creativity, which are both important components of intelligence.

    Read More

  • Are Video Games Bad For Kids

    459 Words  | 1 Pages

    For years and years there has been rumors and opinions thrown out for everyone to hear, but the question is, which is the correct one? Kids, along with teenagers, playing video games helps benenfit the way they think about life. It helps them connect in a way they wouldn't be able to if they were just outside throwing rocks. They build a connection with not only themselves but they put themselves into the characters, which is great for the mind to comprehend more than just one outlook.

    Read More

  • Playing Computer Games Is Beneficial to Children

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Playing games on hand-held can be beneficial as it can be enjoyable but self-motivated way for children to learn and play “play is intrinsic to children’s quality of life, it is how they enjoy themselves. It is also a key component of a healthy lifestyle”. Children’s games on hand held devices such as iPad, iPhone and tablets give children access to a vast wealth of information which can develop children mind and knowledge surrounding a broad spectrum of subjects. Educational video games that are age appropriate have an inventive way of simulating a young child mind and sustaining a young child’s attention, while they are engaging in the practice of learning and problem-solving; for example a literacy letter game expands a young child’s language and literacy skill in a visual character and audio sounds as way of simulating the mind help the child retain the information in certain part of their brain. Then if games ask questions to challenge the child understanding further such as find the right letter?

    Read More

  • Violent Video Game Should be Banned

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    First of all video games can benefit the person playing the game. Video games strengthen reading and visual skills. In the article “what video games can teach us” by Emily Sohn, Sohn says “because kids are interested in the game, they often end up reading at a level well above their grade.” This statement is true about anything, a person will do things as long as they think it benefits them. In a kids case they believe that reading during the game will help them beat the game. Therefore they will read even though they may not realize that they are improving their literacy skills at the same time as playing the game.A game may improve your visual skills as well. A study made by researchers from the University of Rochester came to the conclusion that video game players gain better visual skills than people that don’t play them. Video game players can keep track of more objects at a time. As well as pick out objects quicker out of a cluttered environment.

    Read More

More about Positive Effects of Video Games on Learning

Open Document