Video games matured and so does the society. The graphics have significantly improved to from being pixilated characters to life-like avatars, stories are richer and players are more immersed and involved in the game itself. Slowly, we begin to realize the potential of the virtual and digital world for enrichment and learning. With continues growth and development of video game industry, alongside this is the introduction of gamification in various industries, with education being among the forefront.
As how people are enjoying to watch movies and reading books as well as other physical media, people feel the same when playing games. This can be used for more than just raiding castles and exploring new worlds. With so many applications and uses, many are wondering why such a massive industry could not be used for the betterment of our world?
For parents, these video games are life saver when they have to do something very important and want to keep kids occupied. As for the latter, it’s simply their main source of entertainment. On the other hand, if used strategically, especially in the corporate world, video games are not just a past time but also, it can be used in encouraging:
- Social skills
- Teamwork
- Knowledge (depending on game’s genre)
Would it not Affect Performance and Productivity?
There are many good reasons to introduce gaming in businesses and even in schools too. Let me cite a couple of examples…
Boosting Focus and Concentration
A very popular game that’s been proven to deliver exceptional outlet for those who have ADHD or autism is Minecraft.
With the help of this game, it helps in nurturing creativity while providing calming and structured environment for neuroatypical and neurotypical people.
Believe it or not, people who have such conditions want to be engaged and learn. It’s just that, when they could not make this happen, it is upsetting them. So if Minecraft has this capacity to help children laser focus on things, then we have to understand and study same techniques for educational technologies of the future.
Turning Failure into Learning
Encouraging students and children to see failure as a way to learn than a sign of something that they lack of actually helps them to succeed. It is with this principle that helps kids to thrive and enjoy growth and learning just like in video game characters as it progresses in its adventure. For instance, in Diablo II, Yesgamers is the D2 store they have to go to buy stuff and items needed to progress. In real life, we can buy accessories to improve learning too.
