1. Video Games & Education
Steven “Felix” Scott
EDIT 202
June 2, 2010

2. Who are the gamers?
At worst, the community of games players can be stereotyped as young males who revel in violent fantasy, cannot relate well to reality, are isolated, likely to have social problems which may become severe, are unhealthily constantly at play, and who relate better to machines than other people.
The old stereotype of a video gamer -- an antisocial adolescent male playing simplistic, violent games in isolation -- is absurdly inaccurate 60% of Americans play video games [IDSA]; the average age of game players is 28; and 43% of game players are female. For example, Cyan's Myst [Myst] games series, with over 10,000,000 copies sold, has a 60% to 40% split of male to female players.
Source: British Educational Communications and Technology Agency

3. Is It True What They Say? Violence.
Do violent video games foster violence and aggression?
Addiction
Are children and adults wasting their lives playing video games? Are they suffering from video game addiction? Are there physical symptoms to video addiction?
Gender Issues
Are gender biases and stereotypes being perpetuated throughout most video games?

4. Types Of Violence Does the type of violence make a difference?
Ten Moments in Video Game Violence

5. Question About Video Game Violence
Are games with life-like violence worse than games with cartoon violence? Is there a difference between killing people and killing monsters.
What are the affects of first person shooter games? Are they a form of escapism or do they offer a more up close and personal style of violence?
Video Game Rating System.
What does the research say?
Researchers’ POV #1, Researchers’ POV #2

6. Video Game Addiction What game designer’s say
As far as addictiveness in games goes, one needs to first weigh whether it is a positive or a negative. I think that an addictive game is usually just a good game, so a game being addictive is just a sign of its quality. To me, it seems that intentionally making games "not addictive" is intentionally making them bad.
Matt F – GameSpot.com

7. Video Game Addiction Video game addiction does exist. Answers.com.
Online games allow you to create an avatar and players can become online actors socializing with other gamers.
To make games addictive designers try to make them fun, not allowing players to stop by removing natural pauses, make load times quick as possible,
Create multiple goals and quests (short and long quests, easy to complete quests and hard to complete quests)
WOW Account deleted

8. Video Game Addiction - Other Factors
Sounds, graphics, world simulation and elaborate game screens promising numerous options make these games fun and appealing. However is it more or less appealing to different people?

9. Gender Issues/Sexuality
Some of the earliest video games comprised of a central story line of rescuing the damsel in distress. Such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, and Legend of Zelda.
Progressively over time women in video games started to become stronger characters, and even became central figures or heroines in games.

10. Gender Issues/Sexuality
There some games do portray women as strong characters and in a positive manner.
However even the video game heroine who is the central character is still sometime seen scantily clad. Can these heroines still be scene as positive role models?
Is this sending a more positive or a more negative message to young girls and boys?
Keep in mind sex still sells and there are some “Games” young children should not be exposed to.

11. Social Aspects of Gaming
Socialization in video games can be divided into categories of competitive or collaborative. Individuals can compete against each other in a 2 player VS. mode or share strategies with other players. This is especially true with online games players can join a PVP server, join other players in a guild, or go it alone and occasionally ask other players for specialized assistance.
Anonymous Posting HALO fan site

12. Social Aspects of Gaming
The MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) genre of computer games which consist of a “persistent state” worlds thrive on creating and sustaining a culture surrounding their game play.
Creating avatars. Do players create characters that resemble themselves or the opposite?
Socially implicit, codified and non codified rules and standards must be followed or the player will have to survive on their own.

13. Gaming in Education
Students better retain information that is placed in a rich contextual background.
Games encourage pleasant frustration and motivation for hidden learning.
Gamers can act as designers, strategists, and producers, authors and programmers.
Gamers can act as problem solvers.
Games can be purely educational, but would these be called games or simulations.
Sports games could improve participation in P.E.
Games as reward tools.

14. Video Games In Education Classic Examples
Some more classical examples of drill an practice games in education to become skill proficient are:
Mavis Beacon, Math Blaster, ect.
Sports games which are based on the actual rules of real life games can be used to encourage participation in physical education by introducing students to various sports in a non-threatening environment.
Games are even being designed where the player has to be physically active to play.

15. Video Games Learning in Context
The virtual worlds of games are powerful because they make it possible to develop situated understanding and even deductive reasoning.
One such game is the Age of Mythology which players control the fate of a civilization as it progresses through various historical gas. Civilizations are chosen based on historically accurate depictions of Greek, Roman and Norse cultures and then Deities are chosen to worship and aid their civilization when called upon.
Sign the petition for Age of Mythology II

16. Video Games – Motivation
Good games are often challenging, but do-able, they are often also pleasantly frustrating, which is a very motivating state for human beings.
Good games allow players to customize the game to their own levels of ability and styles of learning. For instance, Rise of Nations lets players tweak almost every element in the game, and offers skills tests as well, to ensure that nearly everyone can find the outer edge of their competence. [Squire 2005].

17. Video Games – Motivation
Players are encouraged to play again and again to improve or previous performance. Attempt new strategies and experiment with different options or paths in game play.
When players are motivated to succeed within a game they become active participants in the problem solving process.

18. Video Games – Problems Solving
It is the job of a video game simulation to emulate real world scenarios in various business and educational fields.
The more accurate the simulation the more the skills employed in completing the simulation can be transferred into real life practical aspects.
In the context of lifelong learning, simulation games afford a realistic framework to use technologies as a means to an end and so can prepare learners for the world of work.

19. Video Games – Gamers As Authors
Along with the designer, the players actions co-create the game world. The players can become storytellers and designers.
Furthermore, players can use software that comes with the game to build new scenarios, storylines maps, episodes, or even creatures/monsters.
NeverWinter Night Module Creation Tutorial

20. Video Games Social Issues & Education
Then there are the games designed specifically to address cultural, social, political, and moral issues.
Used in an educational context such games can be used not only to introduce such topics, but also serve to provide students with accurate information concerning these topics.
Of course some games are better than others and it would be up to the teacher to decide whether or not a game can and should be used for this purpose. It also poses the question how could such socially relevant games be effectively incorporated into a lesson plan.
Combating Drug Addiction With Video Games - TAVAD.com

21. Video Games An Educational Medium
Marc Prensky – Founder, President and CEO of Games2Train.com. From a practical standpoint, the profile of learners has changed Consider this -- today's children (who are quickly becoming tomorrow's college students and adult learners): - spend over 10,000 hours playing video games. receive and - send over 200,000 s and instant messages - spend over 10,000 hours talking on digital cell phones and over 20,000 hours watching TV (a high percentage fast speed MTV). …they do all of this before they ever even leave for college! Learning via digital games is one good way to reach Digital Natives in their 'native language'"

22. Of Course We Have to Include Some Educational Links
Digital Games Research Association 2005 Conference
Choosing good games for your kids – Media Awareness.org
Classic 80’s Video Games Play Now
Online Games Educational or Just for Fun
Play Educational Games at TerraGame.com
Ultimate Arcade
Eternal Fun
GameSpy & GameSpyArcade.com
James Gee – James Gee at PC.GameZone.com