Video Game Trends in Game Based Learning/Educational Games
Imagine this – each student in the class is glued to a handheld device. There is a distant, faraway look in their eyes – the kind you get when you are concentrating on something. They are fidgeting, they are tilting in their seats, their eyes are darting from one part of the screen to the other, and their thumbs are moving fast. Until a few years back, the very thought of students glued to video games in the classroom would have been a scene straight out of a teacher's nightmare. Not anymore. With the game-based learning movement gaining steam, such scenarios have become commonplace.
The Shifting Dynamics of Educational Games
Be it directly or otherwise, games have always been a part of the teaching curriculum. This is because educators and scientists agree that games teach us many basic yet indispensable skills to sail through life intelligently. Whether it is games like chess that teach us caution and foresight or team games that teach us the skills required to work successfully as a unit, most schools have happily made games a part of their teaching methods. However, in the recent years, a new wave has been seen sweeping across educational methods. When it comes to learning or educational games, the dynamics have shifted in favor of video games.
Source: Flickr
Video Game Trends – What's New?
The negative stigma attached to video games is slowly but surely giving way to a more positive outlook. And the latest trends in game based learning/educational games are to be applauded for the feat. For example, the new trend of focusing on age appropriateness has won over a large number of people, making video games an even more popular new medium of teaching. This is because, unlike in the past, educational games are taking into account the fact that they are being used by players of different ages. As a result, games have started offering customizable curriculums, helping engage kids better and contributing to the learning process majorly.
Source: Flickr
Mistakes – Embrace and Learn
Another new trend in video game based learning is the trend of encouraging mistakes. Unlike traditional methods of learning where mistakes are frowned upon, educational games encourage students to make and learn from their mistakes. One of the main reasons why math is a terror for most students is because of the fear of making mistakes that is instilled from a young age. Online math games, on the other hand, focus on mastering the subject. They focus on understanding the concept, critically analyzing the problem in hand and then going for a solution. As the focus shifts from results, kids have been better able to deal with problems.
Video game trends in game-based educational games bring in a fresh new approach to education. And there are a lot of new things happening regularly. Keep abreast and make them a part of your child's education.
Kate Anderson is a blogger and freelance writing professional interested in everything to do with kids and gaming. Always on the lookout for something interesting to do online, Kate is especially fond of exciting virtual world games. Her writing reflects her love for fun online games.
