One of my hobbies since growing up has been playing video games. If I look back and count the many hours sitting in front of my computer or tv playing my Wii, most people would believe the time could have been used for better uses ie. studying, or running. I would disagree with this common notion.
I believe my hours upon hours playing games like World of Warcraft, Super Mario, Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time gave me positive attributes and skills I would not have learned elsewhere. Attributes such as creative problem solving, collaborative teamwork, and working through epic frustration can be learned through gaming. As I watch Jane McGonigal's talk on the virtues of gaming, I was shocked to learn that gamers on average spend an equal amount of time in school as they do playing games. It is amazing gamers are actually "dual enrolled." They are enrolled in a traditional K-12 education and "enrolled" in a gaming school.
Games such as Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time emphasize gradual building up of specific cognitive skills that are needed to solve more difficult problems later on in the game. If I look back at my life and how I developed problem skills, I believe this skill first manifest when I was 7, the exact time I started playing original Legend of Zelda for the NES system. Coincidence? I think not. Since beating the Legend of Zelda I have had a love of games that require deep problem solving.
I believe my hours upon hours playing games like World of Warcraft, Super Mario, Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time gave me positive attributes and skills I would not have learned elsewhere. Attributes such as creative problem solving, collaborative teamwork, and working through epic frustration can be learned through gaming. As I watch Jane McGonigal's talk on the virtues of gaming, I was shocked to learn that gamers on average spend an equal amount of time in school as they do playing games. It is amazing gamers are actually "dual enrolled." They are enrolled in a traditional K-12 education and "enrolled" in a gaming school.
Games such as Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time emphasize gradual building up of specific cognitive skills that are needed to solve more difficult problems later on in the game. If I look back at my life and how I developed problem skills, I believe this skill first manifest when I was 7, the exact time I started playing original Legend of Zelda for the NES system. Coincidence? I think not. Since beating the Legend of Zelda I have had a love of games that require deep problem solving.
.png)
Perseverance is the one quality ever gamer needs if they will ever "beat" a video game. I can recall thousands of times when I suffer the same death in the level of Goldeneye when I must protect a unarmed computer programmer while hundreds of ex-KGB agents are coming in with machine guns. Yet I must keep trying. Why, I really have no clue other than sheer madness to beat a video game. It was these times of learning how to overcome deep frustration, got me through all-nighters doing quantum physics homework during my undergrad.
So in essence, I agree with James Paul Gee's Good Video Games, Good Learning. Video games can teach us skills that are extremely useful in real life. So, when it comes to the time where I must decide whether to support my future children's playing of video games, I say grab me a wii remote and let’s play some Mario Kart.
"Dual enrollment" is a powerful way to describe gaming. Snip, snip, snip -- stealing that for later. :)
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that McGonigal mentioned in her talk how people tend to like each other more after playing games together. But I suppose it makes sense. As you mention, many games require players to work collaboratively, and this collaboration can build trust and respect.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love Mario Kart!
It seems like some games might be more about epic learning than others. For example, I too love Mario Kart (N64 and Wii are the ones I've played), but there's not necessarily the same sort of strategy there as required in other games like Zelda.
ReplyDeleteI would be really interested to see how the cooperation involved in gaming could be utilized in the classroom in a fun way. I think some teachers are already doing it...I wonder if you could assign students specific roles too? Or perhaps they really just come with their own roles and working together helps them value each others' input.
Glad I am not the only one who had trouble with Quantum :P
ReplyDeleteI think another thing about gaming is it gives you a break from something you may not be succeeding at to give you a chance to refresh before attempting it again. One think I miss during this program so far is that reflective time. You know, the time between you banging your head against a problem and the time you get it. Usually there is something so unrelated in there that helps your subconscious make sense of it while you are knocking turtle shells into other drivers (and isn't that physics?) or going for a run or cooking dinner.
IS THAT A SCREENSHOT FROM GOLDENEYE???
ReplyDeleteIn theory, I agree with your statement that cooperation skills can be enhanced by World of Warcraft. Back when I used to raid 50+ hours a week (arcane mage FTW!), teamwork as well as procedural knowledge of raid bosses were crucial to success. If you do not have both, the most skilled player would never even be able to clear Naxxramas. In fact, Thaddius was the boss that could either make or break a raid. If you were not competent enough to handle the polarity shifts, and did not coordinate as a team, the raid would have no chance with the rest of instance.
HOWEVER, from personal experience, even if WoW required the ability to play work well with others, there are many, many, MANY players that lack the appropriate social skills to play cooperatively. I believe that the internet gives people the anonymity they need to feel comfortable being a complete jerk. If we could only get over that major obstacle, then WoW could be an excellent tool for sociocognitive learning.
/ragequit
Yep, that is a screen shot from the facility in Goldeneye 64. In my clan in WoW, members who could not operate within normal bonds, found themselves shunned pretty quickly. I do agree that anonymity gives rise internet tough guy syndrome and other sociopathic behavior. I post regularly on a mgoblog, a michigan sports blog. We have issues with trolls all the time on the boards. At least we have reputation and moderation system that allows silencing of trolls.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting blog post. I really enjoyed seeing your outlook on video games, and hearing about all the different skills you feel that you learned from them. As someone who has not spent much time playing video games, it is easy for me to see them as a waste of time. However, hearing about the problem solving skills you learned, and other positive skills, makes me think twice. I still wonder though how many games really are worthwhile and beneficial out there, and how many do not really have much to offer in terms of real life applicability. Thanks for making me stop and think :)
ReplyDelete