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Videogames, Learning, And Literacy

Posted by simoniker on from the i-kan-spel-gouranga dept.

Thanks to an anonymous reader for pointing to a GameZone.com article interviewing Professor James Paul Gee, the author of a new book advocating videogames as a learning tool. According to Gee, "It dawned on me that good games were learning machines... Many of these [game-contained] principles could be used in schools to get kids to learn things like science, but, too often today schools are returning to skill-and-drill and multiple-choice tests that kill deep learning." He goes on to reference "good learning principles" built into games like System Shock 2, Rise of Nations, and Arcanum, and advocates early gaming for learning: "In my view - and I know it is controversial - kids should be playing games from early on, from three years old, say."

2 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Language is where it's at by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    When playing Grand Theft Auto III I got certain phrases on my mind("I kill you gringo!"). It occured to me that it might as well have a little wider repertoire of more useful phrases in some foreign language with optional subtitling, and I'd be able to pick up something while playing.

    Of course, even better would be a game with a lot more interaction, something like a Sierra-style adventure game.

    Actually, it's personal experience too, I learned quite a bit of English from 80s text adventures.

  2. Re:Things I've learned from games by g_arumilli · · Score: 3, Informative

    Haha, the original EV games also teach you that an invincible space pirate named Captain Hector will hunt you down if you don't register your shareware within 30 days...Good times...

    Anyways, here in Cupertino, CA (courtesy of Apple Computer), we used plenty of video games in elementary school for learning purposes...Cross-Country USA and Cross-Country California for geography, Oregon Trail and Amazon Trail for history, Reader Rabbit and some others for English and other skills, and one other castle-based semi-RPG for learning logic skills (fun game)...We also used spreadsheets to learn some "accounting" and mathematical skills...Combine that with the regular Nintendo and computer games (especially sims) that my friends and I used to play, and I think we learned quite a bit from computer games as children...Fun and educational..