Why are video games good for learning?
By: J. Gee
Gee's article asks the question, do video games have any real value for instruction? Gee argues that the value of any particular video game for educational purposes, lies in the design of the game. Gee deems the game valuable if it is a simulation that make the player "figure out the rule system (patterns) that constitutes the simulation (the rules that the simulation follows thanks to how it is designed). The player must discover what is possible and impossible (and in what ways) within the simulation in order to solve problems and carry out goals" (p. 2). These types of games have educational value because they teach students skills that are necessary to have success in the real world.
Gee also discusses how video games allow the student to learn the concepts of something and practice them before they use them in the real world. "It allows the player to begin to act, with some degree of effectiveness, before being really competent—“performance before competence.” The player thereby eventually comes to gain competence through trial, error, and feedback, not by wading through a lot of text before being able to engage in activity" (p.13). Video games have a place in education, but only if they provide the player with skills that they could not gain from a typical classroom activity. By providing students with this additional learning experience, they will become well-rounded students. With knowledge of problem-solving skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Gee also discusses how video games allow the student to learn the concepts of something and practice them before they use them in the real world. "It allows the player to begin to act, with some degree of effectiveness, before being really competent—“performance before competence.” The player thereby eventually comes to gain competence through trial, error, and feedback, not by wading through a lot of text before being able to engage in activity" (p.13). Video games have a place in education, but only if they provide the player with skills that they could not gain from a typical classroom activity. By providing students with this additional learning experience, they will become well-rounded students. With knowledge of problem-solving skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.