Even though gaming can have side effects if not done moderately, its benefits for studying cannot be ignored either. Studies prove that students who take time daily to engage in video games are better adapters and develop impressive motor and critical thinking skills. If you are still skeptical about it, keep on reading to find out how.
Learning by Engaging
What better way to learn than by engaging in activities that enhance your learning abilities? Learning by doing or kinesthetic learning helps in greater retention and understanding of information. (Theclickreader) Usually, games are fast-paced and require constant concentration on the problem at hand. It aids in lengthening the attention span and improvement in concentration levels. The effectiveness of video games can be backed up by several empirical studies showing that they are even being used to treat disorders like ADHD.
Students who did not participate in class activities before have been observed to engage in class again when teachers use students’ own preferences and interests while teaching. Research proves that brains are wired for pleasure and that games while you study an effective learning method stimulate adventure and make our minds happy and engaged. From the 21st century games, students can develop impressive motor and critical thinking skills.
Neuroplasticity is a process through which your brain can restructure itself to adapt to new situations. This is done by creating new neurons and making neurological pathways for supporting and enhancing cognitive abilities. The biological proof is that you get better at something once you keep practicing and doing it repeatedly. Just like physical training, the more your brain is used, the better it will learn and adapt. Video games serve as a ‘learning gym’ for our minds, preparing us for acquiring new knowledge and gaining skill and experience by practical application.
Games for Brains
Computer games also enhance visual processing and have cognitive benefits. It improves a so-called ‘lazy eye’; amblyopia or reduced vision in any one of the eyes due to abnormal visual development from childhood. Areas in the brain that are responsible for spatial awareness are also strengthened. Video games are effective tools for learning educational skills like biology, algebra, coding as they deepen the understanding and learning processes.
In order to do anything in the game, players are needed to understand the back story and the context. For example, while playing Angry Birds, you will learn how heavy each bird is and its abilities. In Plants vs. Zombies, you get to learn about different types of plants and their specific features as each day passes. The knowledge of bringing together the pieces of the game is essential for achieving the goal. Students often find it challenging to balance their academic and social lives simultaneously. If you feel overwhelmed with the increasing burden of studying, feel free to take your time off. Delegate your work to a professional writing service like Essayzoo and let the professional handle it for you.
Gaming Can Aid in Group Work
Learning is accepted as a social activity by most educators. It means that cooperative learning aids in an increase in engagement. It allows students to observe and learn from peers. The benefits of video games Include facilitating the communication and collaboration process. Incorporating this in the teaching environment can bring fruitful results and develop these soft skills among students in the most fun way. Playing video games allows you to mirror the interactions that help you and your team work together in groups, like sharing allocated resources, pursuing mutual goals, and negotiating task ownership.
Presentation and visual appeal
Video games can appeal to us on multiple levels. The graphics are made to be colorful, vibrant, and dynamic. A soundtrack accompanies each set to set an appropriate mood. By playing the game, a story unfolds dramatically at times. The variety of multidimensional aesthetics stimulation tends to make games more appealing to students psychologically and be a more exciting way to learn. It is why so many people enjoy watching movies. Games can be considered a movie where the audience gets a chance to interact and participate.
The misconception is that games are typically played for entertainment purposes only. On the contrary, you can do gaming for good too. Games can be pretty educational. Nintendo’s Zelda is one game that exemplifies this. It has a compelling storyline and intriguing characters. As you progress, you constantly challenge puzzles and mazes that force the players to think critically to solve problems.
Instant feedback is a source of motivation.
In most activities, the measurement of your improvement and progress is complex and can take longer. However, while playing games, you can clearly see the fruits of your hard work and efforts emerge right in front of you very quickly. Visible assessments are provided in the form of experience points or gained scores indicating how far you have come along. Upon reaching milestones, you get rewarded by unlocking new levels and features of the game. Accompanying game music for studying along with a massive congratulations sign often satisfies the need for moving forward.
This provides players with a sense of motivation, and hence they keep coming back for more. Incorporating educational games in the school syllabus can be an excellent way to use this motivation as a learning tool. Students will be able to see their progress and can healthily compete with their peers. A few ideal educational games for students include:
- Math Blaster
- Big Brain Academy
- Minecraft: Education Edition
- My Word Coach
- Kahoot
When you start considering whether video games are good or bad for you, look at it from this angle. Even if students lose, they get unlimited tries while playing games. As human nature, we want the positive consequences of any action to last longer and avoid the burden of failures. Games have programs that only save your progress as you succeed and allow you to reload data when you have to restart a game. When you are giving an exam, retrying to improve can take a lot of time and depend on factors like teacher’s availability, peer’s acceptance, and the time for the results to come back. While learning through games, you are free to self-evaluate and self-assess, making the learning and growing process very fast.
So the next time when you start to wonder if video games are good for you, consider all the benefits it brings along. However, the key to success here is moderation. Incorporate games as a healthy activity in your educational journey to make learning fun and quick.
Author BIO: Cody Rhodes is a learning specialist at essayzoo.org, he designs and delivers learning initiatives (both in class and online) for a global and internal audience. He is responsible for ongoing development, delivery, and maintenance of training. He has the ability to manage competing priorities to execute on time-sensitive deliverables within a changing environment. He contributes to continually improving the team’s processes and standards and works as a member of the team to assist with team initiatives.
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