Educational computer and video games: Do they really help children learn?

More and more classrooms and schools are introducing educational game websites, and according to researchers, nearly 60 percent of teachers used computer and video games weekly. Researchers also discovered that more than a third of teachers use games use these games to assess student progress.

Parents and teachers alike are all for new concepts and designs that can increase students’ learning and cognitive skills. Do computer and video games accomplish this? Researchers believe that more research is needed to prove that educational games played in the classroom has a significant effect on learning. It has yet to be proven whether digital games help students learn. Educational psychologist, Richard Mayer, PhD, says that “…the evidence is not all convincing yet that digital games are going to revolutionize education.”

Despite there being no significant evidence that digital games help to increase learning, researchers did find that some games help with learning languages and history, and physical education. However, they found that there were not many effects on learning science and math.

The goal researchers are working towards is focused on what design elements of these games can work best with increasing the learning capacity of students. Using these games can be beneficial because they can engage and motivate students more, which can possibly lead to an improvement in learning. Researchers found that proficiently designed, digital games “can motivate students to learn less popular subjects, such as math.” It can also lead children to be more interest in difficult subjects.

Although research has not proven whether educational digital games in the classroom can significantly improve learning, some benefits of these games have been found. Gaming in the classroom can lead to an increase in motivation. Motivation can possibly lead to learning, but more research on educational digital games unquestioningly needs to be done.

For more information on this topic, click the following link:

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/04/gaming.aspx