Researchers believe interactive games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life could be adapted so that children learn skills from them that could be transferred to real life.Really..? Shame my day job doesn’t require me to set an attack
They believe that the "immersive" aspect of the games in which the player suspends his belief means that the brain is particularly engaged and can absorb complex issues.
The games real life feel also means that students could effectively carry out "work experience" on the computer learning techniques and skills they can apply back in reality.
Researchers believe that the games, which they say are more active than passive traditional learning, could be most useful for science based subjects with students able to carry out imaginary experiments and improve their ability to "learn to learn".Well, I did some Northrend Alchemy Research yesterday, so I guess I’m a scientist now... Where’s my government grant?!
Dr Merrilea Mayo, director of Future Learning systems at the Kaufman Foundation, said the games can also help close the gap between under and over-achieving children.Hmm, I think she’s going to have a few problems from her colleagues, especially from Dr Richard Graham, who seems to worry about games like WoW making people ‘socially withdrawn’.
"Unlike lectures, games can be adapted to the pace of the user," she said.
"Games also simultaneously present information in multiple visual and auditory modes, which capitalises on different learning styles.
"Although the field is still in its embryonic stages, game-based learning has the potential to deliver science and maths education to millions of users simultaneously.
"Unlike other mass-media experiments in education (e.g., TV), games are a highly interactive."
And we can’t have scientists being socially withdrawn, now can we...?
I once played EvE for a year (until two years ago). EvE is a kind sci-fi military / economic simulation and role playing game with tens of thousands of players.
ReplyDeleteAnyone playing it seriously will come away with a pretty good understanding of market economics and perhaps leadership skills of various sorts.
I stopped playing because succeeding in game was starting to become very like succeeding in life.
"over-achieving"?
ReplyDeleteDon't they mean "high-achieving"? It's almost as if some people think doing well was objectionable. Doh! Sorry.
wv=sisesshr, the inventor of the concept of Sean Connery.
"Anyone playing it seriously will come away with a pretty good understanding of market economics and perhaps leadership skills of various sorts."
ReplyDeleteMy brother played that for a while - you really do need a head for figures to make the most out of it!
Funnily enough, my place of work recently trialled a 'Virtual Classroom' - for me and a few other gamers, it was second nature, but some of the more 'classroom-bound' trainers struggled mightily with the concept of individual/group/all user chat.
So I can't say I entirely disagree with the idea that gaming is useful experience time!
"It's almost as if some people think doing well was objectionable. "
NuLab 'education' system - working as intended... ;)
My business partner plays EVE. He has a massive cash flow forecasting system and logistics system he wrote in Excel and has well over 100 Billion in BPOs.
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