I like video games, and some people probably think that I am lazy for enjoying my favorite games, but as the Education Arcade at MIT argues:
<blockquote> “Game players regularly exhibit persistence, risk-taking, attention to detail, and problem solving, all behaviors that ideally would be regularly demonstrated in school.” </blockquote>
So could gamification be the key to unlocking educational potential? And with 1.2 million Americans failing to graduate from high school every year, gamification might offer a solution to one of America’s most pressing problems.
What makes video games so great for education? For one, they require you to use your imagination. Two, they reward persistent effort in the form of bonuses and other things. Not only that but they often require people to collaborate and use other useful skills.
Indeed, children’s educational software actually appeared in the 1980’s, just as video games were starting to go mainstream. In 1990, when PC’s started to enter the average home and the Internet began to grow, games became even more popular. And now, there is a huge array of educational software and gaming rules and principles are actually beginning to influence curriculum and other aspects of education!
Already video games consume some 3 billion hours worth of humanity’s time each week. In fact, over 5 million people play over 45 hours worth of video games a week! That’s crazy, and a lifestyle I wouldn’t want to live. I’d estimate that I play less than 200 hours worth of games per year!
There is a whole heck of a lot more information in this technology backed infographic by Knewton.
