Computer and Video Gaming

Should we use computer and video games for pedagogical purposes? Well, if someone had asked me this question two months ago, I would have probably given a negative answer. The main reason is that I used to be very skeptical about games and their implications for teaching. Maybe this is also because I barely ever play any games at least because of lack of time. But my views changed after I began to take the course on the use of technologies in TEFL. It opened my eyes and my mind to many wonderful technological tools like, for instance, gaming. 

As Marc Prensky mentions rightfully, (http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Ch2-Digital%20Game-Based%20Learning.pdf ), "new generation has a different mix of cognitive skills". It is no longer a secret that our brain reorganizes itself according to input it gets. It means that games somehow shape our brain. The "game generation" processes information more quickly, "gamers" use parallel processing, they have sharpened visual sensitivity, they are used to active learning. These are important factors that educators have to consider in adjusting the curriculum. If we do not do this, we will lose our learners. 

Let us see what advantages and disadvantages games have and how we can effectively integrate them in teaching. Through games learners experience things they have to learn. They become active learners. The greatest merit of games is that they develop problem-solving skills. As Professor Paul Gee states in one of his interviews, "we think critically when playing because there is always a mission we have to accomplish". As mentioned in the article "Digital Game-Based Learning by Richard Van Eck, there are three ways in which we can integrate gaming into education. The first one is having students build games, the second one is having educators or developers build educational games. In case of these two, the problem is that they are costly and time consuming. In this respect, the best solution would be taking existing games and using them in classroom. But here we have to be very careful to select games that will be in accordance with the curriculum and course content. As an English language teacher, I have to make sure learners develop language skills while playing. 

Today I played the game called "Darfur is Dying"http://www.darfurisdying.com/. From teacher's perspective, I can say that it could be used in an EFL class to teach related vocabulary, develop reading skills by means of the detailed instructions of the game. Besides, this game made me go to Wikipedia and learn more about the Darfur Crisis. It was driven by a real meaningful interest, rather than being forced to read because of an assignment. 

I would also like to address the issue of violent games. What should we do with games that contain violent content? There is a lot of research on this topic (http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Mental_Health_Letter/2010/October/violent-video-games-and-young-people).

Some researchers claim that exposure to violent media can contribute to real-life violent behavior. Others claim they haven't been able to find any direct connection between them. I think such video games won't hurt our children (irrespective of research results) if parents take appropriate action. First, they can censor what video games their children should play, they can also set time limits on playing games.