People have been looking critically at video games, mostly unfairly, and have accused it of turning players into couch potatoes who don't take part in any forms of physical exercise. The criticism is aimed against video games and the main point is that no physical interaction ever takes place and that social relations suffer as a result.
Add to this, the fact that these video games can be played any time of the day making it responsible for erratic sleep behavior and its subsequent consequences. However, there is a lot that players (not necessarily children) can and should learn from video games. In an article in Harvard' Nieman reports, the author has given several examples as to how the video games can help the player in developing some of the skill sets. For example, combat games such as Full Spectrum Warrior and Metal Gear show how to wage war in contemporary global conflicts or sneak past enemy lines.
Civilation and even games like Simcity teaches you how to manage a large number of people and look after their welfare. There are other games that teach you basic family values and you advance by keeping your family happy and running a clean house. These games leave a lasting impression and they are easy to relate to for those playing. These games can usually also be played by kids. Some of the most interesting games are ones like Tactical Iraqi where you get to learn the language and find out about the culture and preferences of another society. This is a much more interesting way of learning cultural sensitivity than sitting in a boring lecture.
Another distinctive feature of games over schools is that the gaming framework is based on the philosophy of putting performance before competence. In a game, the player learns things by doing it rather than relying only on reading. On the contrary, in a school environment, a child is more likely to learn by reading and may or may not have an opportunity to have hands on experience. This is even true of simple games like forklift games or even 3 in a row games. Also, in a schooling environment, the child is under the constant pressure of performance and is most likely to follow the traditional norm whereas in a gaming environment the child is not under such pressure and is likely to explore newer techniques which contribute to the intellectual growth of the child.
Every step of human life is filled with choices and it is necessary to make right choices or at least take immediate corrective action when the manifestations of a wrong choice are realized. Any video game would require the player to make choices at various stages and reap the after effects of his/her choices. This uncanny similarity of games with real life makes the video games an ideal simulator to train the mind and get used to making choices. Academicians should also comprehend as to how children are self motivated to learn games independently and dedicate long hours without losing interest. If the academicians are able to translate the gaming framework to the school, it will not be a surprise to see the child staying long hours in school.
About the Author:
There are various games like forklift games and 3 in a row games that are prime examples of games you can play to demonstrate the benefits of games on Skillpod.com.
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