Why Educational Video Games Should Be Part of Every School's Curriculum

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Educational video games are being ignored in classrooms, even though students say the games would help them learn better, a new survey found. It’s about time education leaders break from their stodgy past and usher in a gaming-friendly classroom.

Digital Journal, Op-Ed — As video games continue to gain prevalence among youth, more arguments stress the importance of bringing gaming into the classroom. But a new survey reveals a strong disconnect between what kids want and what teachers prefer — while most students believe educational gaming would help them learn, few teachers in the U.S. are willing to explore that option. And that gap could be dangerous.

The role of technology in schools needs to be addressed, and a recent survey is doing a great job at exposing the perspectives of students and teachers. The annual Speak Up survey, released by Project Tomorrow, highlighted how video games could be best applied in the classroom. Unfortunately, students and administrators disagree on how to take advantage of the rising gaming trend.

According to the survey, 51 per cent of students in grades 6 to 12 said games would make it simpler to understand difficult concepts. Also, just less than half of the surveyed students admitted they’d be more interested to learn about a subject if it was presented in a video game.

But teachers aren’t on the same Web page: only 11 per cent of teachers said they are using an “educational video game” in their classroom. And only one-third of teachers said they have tried to bring online learning to the curriculum.

Project Tomorrow CEO Julie Evans said in a statement:

The students in many ways are far ahead of their teachers and parents not only in the sophistication of their technology use, but in the adoption of emerging technologies for learning purposes.

The 2007 online survey collected views from over 367,000 education stakeholders (from students to teachers to principals) representing schools in all 50 states.

This survey unveils a chilling truth: students are looking for some way to be inspired by education, but the adults in charge think they know what’s best.

Vote it up! DimensionM Photo courtesy DimensionM (All Rights Reserved) DimensionM describes itself as "an immersive video game world that engages students in the instruction and learning of mathematics. Pre-algebra and algebra objectives are covered through a series of missions that bring math into a world that today's students understand."

What kind of opportunities are schools missing by ignoring educational gaming? The question isn’t rhetorical — games like DimensionM could help students learn about math, for instance. Used by three counties in Florida, DimensionM embeds math lessons in a virtual world, allowing students to learn about pre-algebra concepts while completing game-based “missions.” The game’s website explains how students become naturally immersed in their learning: “The result? Increase in student motivation, increase in time on task, and the ability to apply their learning in real world situations that have meaning for your student.”

DimensionM is just one example of educational video games designed to bolster a child’s cognitive abilities. Take this sampling of “edu-games”: Food Force focuses on world hunger by allowing players to help feed millions of residents on a fictional island; Re-mission stars an “armed nanobot” that attacks malignant cancer cells and teaches gamers about the origins of the disease; and Making History capitalizes on the popularity of the PC game Civilizations to give kids a chance to personify a nation to engage in diplomacy. Making History is part of the World War II curriculum in more than 150 schools in the U.S.

Project Tomorrow is not happy with their findings. At a Congressional briefing, CEO Julie Evans called upon education leaders put aside their own “digital immigrant paradigms and to listen to students who are not only on the cutting edge of technology innovation but whose future is dependent upon our ability to deliver upon the promise of a world quality, global 21st century education.”

Kudos to Evans and Project Tomorrow for finally bringing this issue to light. Now that studies have shown how video games and violence aren’t bosom buddies, school boards have to wake up to gaming’s benefits. They ignore technology at their own peril. As kids begin to feel more comfortable around electronic learning than ye ol’ textbook, teachers should adapt with the times.

Vote it up! Making History Photo courtesy Muzzy Lane Software (All Rights Reserved) Making History: The Calm & The Storm is a World War II strategy video game. It has been described as both a traditional wargame and a tool for helping students learn history.

There is hope: according to the survey, two-thirds of teachers said “gaming will help engage their students in the coursework and provide them with an effective tool for teaching to students with different learning styles.” Better late than never, but there’s a difference between wanting these games in the classroom and actually getting them there. What good is wishful thinking? If teachers feel powerless, they should pressure their superiors to invite more educational video games into the curriculum.

Ultimately, more tech-friendly learning in schools would mean more student engagement. The net result would be fewer dropouts, continued interest in subjects such as history and a reinforced belief that the school system actually listens to its students. That doesn’t sound like a naïve fantasy at all. Instead, it’s a scenario any educator should welcome.