Video games linked to academic brilliance
Including this fun activity in schools leads to astounding results
Video games are one of the most popular mediums of our times. One estimate shows that by 2025, the global gaming market will amount to USD 268.8 billion annually — significantly higher than the USD 178 billion it is in 2021.
Here are five reasons video games should be used in every classroom.
1. Video games can help students stay in STEM
In 2020, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology found that the nation needs to create the STEM workforce of the future. One of the reasons students drop or switch out of science, technology, engineering and math programs is because of the difficulty of introductory courses such as calculus. The University of Oklahoma has developed a calculus game that can help students succeed in calculus.
2. Provide experiential learning
Teaching students 21stcentury skills, such as creative problem solving, is important for the future workforce, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Games such as DragonBox Algebra, where students solve math problems in a fantasy environment, can help students master skills such as critical thinking.
3. Players learn from failure
Games are a natural way to allow students to fail in a safe way, learn from failures and try again until they succeed. Some games, like
Burnout Paradise make failure fun. In the game, players can crash their cars — and the more spectacular the crash, the higher the points. This allows players to essentially learn from their mistakes, correct them and try again.
4. Students stay engaged in content
The average time a student spends learning in a classroom is only 60% of the allocated class time. Extending the school day to give students more time for learning has been shown to be only marginally effective. A more effective way to maximise time for learning is through engaged time on task. When students are interested and care about a topic and it is relevant, they are curious and engaged. This provides a much better learning experience.
5. Games make complex knowledge fun
Educational theories state that students cannot be given knowledge; they construct knowledge in their own minds. Learners build on previously learned concepts to construct higherlevel and more complex knowledge to make it their own. The periodic table of elements is challenging to learn and remember for many students.