It’s difficult to find someone in this day and age who has not played, or is at least not familiar with the concept of, video games. They are one of the most pervasive, widespread forms of entertainment available on the market, and their popularity shows little sign of decreasing as time goes on.
What is less well understood about them, however, is exactly why they are so engaging, but this can be summed up, through certain research, by the fact that they allow for fantasy, are challenging, and they incite curiosity.
It’s important to keep these factors in mind though, because the mainstream, engaging nature of video games can be used to develop, supplement, and enhance digital learning technologies, which can be used to teach people instead of just entertain them. This article will examine how gaming is related to digital learning technologies and explain its role in education.
Can You Learn from a Video Game?
There are a number of key features that video gaming consoles possess that can be used to enhance the educational experience. This doesn’t mean that video game systems need to be used for education, but that they are equipped with some features that would benefit the digital learning community.
For one, the systems are easy to operate; there is hardly any learning curve, and a user simply has to insert a disc into the console and learn which buttons correspond with the game. This represents a departure from traditional PC gaming and learning because it is much easier to use and the operating system isn’t hidden from the user.
It presents a beneficial possibility for digital learning because the simplicity means that learners can have easy access to educational materials; a lack of knowledge about operating a system won’t preclude them from gaining access to digital libraries.
Interaction within the Online Community
Another facet of gaming systems that would enhance the digital learning environment is the online connectivity that is present with consoles and utilized in games. There are a number of consoles and games that allow the use of broadband ports so that players can compete against others around the world via an Internet connection.
In terms of accessibility, this is great news for digital learning technologies. If incorporated into digital learning, this broadband communication could mean that users from around the globe could communicate, share, and access learning resources from each other. Essentially, the world of learning would become completely open. It would also be a much more active, reciprocal form of learning as well, because a dialogue could be created that wouldn’t be present with something simple like a Google search for academic resources.
More than Just for Entertainment:
Video games are already not just used for entertainment. Various companies use them to train workers or provide simulations that allow employees to develop the necessary skills required to perform a task. This suggests that video games are an increasingly valid form of education, so it bodes well that digital learning technologies can likely be enhanced by the appropriate form of gaming.
This will still require more research and a much more thorough framework of implementation before it can likely become a widespread form of learning, but the opportunity is an advantageous one.
Although many people still see video games as time wasters (because that’s the majority of their experience with gaming), the possibility for adaptation is very real here. It doesn’t appear that gaming systems will be going away anytime soon, so the next task is to integrate them more fully with digital learning technologies to create a more thorough and beneficial learning experience.
