CAN VIDEO GAMES TEACH?
I have to confess that I´m not the best qualified person to answer this
question.
I´m not a gamer.
I know that´s unusual. I mean,
almost everybody games. And I´m a
software developer, I should like computer games. But I don´t.
I remember that at the “Space Invaders” ( J ) time I played some
times. And that old car race, Accolade I
think. But, frankly, I felt more
stressed than entertained by these games.
So I quit.
The only game I remember actually enjoying to play was an old soccer
game – for MSX computer, I think. These
puppets were able to positioning themselves in the field better than most human
soccer players I know! J
But I understand that the question is not about these “old timers”. Games, nowadays, are a completely different
stuff. And – theoretically speaking,
because, as I said, I´m not a gamer – I think that, yes, games can teach… with
some limitations.
For example: my roommate is an Army veteran and likes to practice with “war
games”. Does it help him to maintain
keep sharp his military training? I´d
say that “at a certain measure”. He is “moving
forward” in a terrain filled with “enemies”.
He needs to be alert, spot and identify allies and opponents, shoot fast
and precisely… In that sense, he is training.
But the video game control is not a real weapon, and is not handled
alike one – not even closer. And he has
as many lives as he needs – I asked, and that was his answer. In a real battlefield… it´s just one!
I´m aware that there are “games” that use realistic weapons replicas,
virtual reality, even electric shocks when you are “hit”, to get closer to a
real battle field. But I´d not call it a
“game”. It can be a game in the future,
but you´ll not find your neighbor´s kids using this kind of realistic equipment
nowadays, and maybe not even in the future.
It´s not a question of the technology being available or not; it´s about
if it is appropriate or not to allow kids playing with realistic weapon
replicas – not to mention being “punished” with electric shocks when they lose
the game! And, if it is not realistic,
can we say that we are “learning”? At
what measure?
The same limitations apply to most games that require physical
aptitudes. My daughter plays with a Wii. I tried it, just to play with her, have a
good time with her. And with Wii you
have to make gestures to control the game.
But, again – it is similar to the real movements, but it´s not the
same.
I ask myself if - even if you are learning some aspects of the activity
the game represents – you are not acquiring “bad habits” regarding other aspects. I mean, developing automatic physical reactions
that are inappropriate in a real context.
On the other hand, when the game is mostly intellectual in nature, I
would not question it´s value as a learning tool. Building cities – or empires - for example,
can help you learn history, economics, military strategies, and so on. Again, with the caveat that we are not
dealing with reality but with a simulation.
The value of the learning will be directly proportional to the quality
of the simulation, i.e., the algorithms (or heuristics) over which it is built
and the database it is based on.
Gamification
I´m aware of the “gamification” trend.
Since I´m not a gamer myself, I´m not sure if I understand it
correctly. In my point of view, is just
a way to make gamers think they are playing when they´re just pursuing goals
the company they work for is interested.
Anyway, if it makes hard work lighter, it´s a good think!
Sources:
·
Seeing is Believing – The State of Virtual
Reality - http://www.theverge.com/a/virtual-reality/intro
·
Saiba
o que é gamificação e como ela pode melhorar sua vida - http://zh.clicrbs.com.br/rs/vida-e-estilo/vida/noticia/2014/11/saiba-o-que-e-a-gamificacao-e-como-ela-pode-melhorar-sua-vida-4633209.html
·
Estratégias
de jogos também são grandes alidadas do ambiente corporativo - http://zh.clicrbs.com.br/rs/vida-e-estilo/vida/noticia/2014/11/saiba-o-que-e-a-gamificacao-e-como-ela-pode-melhorar-sua-vida-4633209.html
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