Earlier this week, I stumbled upon an article from the American Psychological Association. It describes a study that found video games, especially first-person shooter video games "may strengthen a range of cognitive skills such as spatial navigation, reasoning, memory and perception."
The article further posits: "This has critical implications for education and career development, as previous research has established the power of spatial skills for achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
I personally find this data exciting and energizing. As a student, I never understood why learning couldn't be more fun. When teachers take the time to explore the technology available to them and apply it in the classroom, students respond.
These findings show teachers that using fun, engaging technology can help students develop and cement spatial skills. These tools could help interest more students in science, technology, engineering and math. Done right, this could also be useful in bridging a gender gap in these areas.
What do you think of this study, fellow students?
Asia, as much as I would like to be unbiased in response to the APA article, the truth is I cannot be. As someone whose life has been seriously affected by the misuse of a weapon, I feel that children should not be exposed to first-person shooter games which encourage this type of behavior. Similar nonviolent games can enhance and strengthen the same cognitive skills without the major societal implications, i.e. sports games, role-playing games, etc. We cannot ignore the amount of school shootings alone in this country, what to speak of accidental deaths or suicides--we cannot be so naive to think that shooter games have not encouraged these behaviors. My main point is that although kids may find these first-person shooter games to be 'fun', unless they are in a pre-military program, I believe the risks are way too high. Just because it's fun doesn't mean it's healthy or safe! I appreciate your post and hope my highly-biased post at least encourages some discussion or introspection.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a wee lad, I played a lot of Wolfenstein, a first-person shooter in which the hero--that's me--navigates a maze to escape Castle Wolfenstein, all while shooting some Nazis in the face. I never thought much of its impact on my spatial reasoning. To this day, I still run into walls and can't figure out which way is up.
ReplyDeletePersonal anecdotes aside, I share your enthusiasm for the positive effects of video games on cognitive skills. I must question, however, the impact of these games in the affective domain. The very premises of today's games are often disturbing. Gone are the days of escaping the Nazis and shooting some of them. Now you play the criminal, brutalizing innocent people and killing cops. What sort of social message are we sending with this sort of content?
In my view, such games are a subset of a larger problem: a cultural preoccupation with anti-heroes. Throughout history, people have told stories to promote the values that they want to pass on from generation to generation. Now our stories are interactive and digital, and the central characters are not paragons of virtue. At best, our protagonists are people with serious flaws who choose to do right only by some extenuating circumstance that forces them to set aside their darker selves. At worst, we celebrate bad people doing bad things.
When video games put the player in the position of a virtuous hero and help develop cognitive skills, I'll be happy to board the bandwagon. Until then, I find most of the garbage on the market unfit for consumption.
One of my favorite activities in elementary school was a flight simulator. We were allowed to play it when we'd completed our Mavis Beacon assignments in keyboarding class. I never saw it as more than a fun game, but thinking back on it now I can see how video games, even 'just for fun' ones, could be powerful tools for student cognitive and motor development. Many games today contain puzzles and scenarios that push the mind to its limits, forcing players to strategize. Teachers don't necessarily even need to develop new games tailored to their content areas, because many existing games are already relatable to the standards. For example, 'Surgeon Simulator' is a hilarious game where you use keys perform a heart surgery. It leads to lots of messes and physically impossible antics, but the respiration and blood pressure monitors are realistic, and it could also prove useful in teaching anatomy.
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