Benefits Of Video Games In Education

What do you think of when I talk about learning? You are probably thinking about lectures and homework. Well what if we took out the lectures and staleness of learning and found a better way to get kids to learn. Video games are the answer to this problem that we are facing today. Some say they are bad for your mental health and lead to antisocial behaviors (Anderson). Though the truth of the matter is quite the opposite. This paper will identify the benefits of video games as a tool for educational use. Video games should be used in education because it helps develop teamwork, problem solving skills, and it is fun and inviting for all students. Some students just don’t work well with others. This is a communication skill that is developed …show more content…
There are many answers to this question (Lazzaro, Nicole.). Some enjoy the challenge and chance to test their abilities that relate to that certain game (Lazzaro, Nicole.). Some use video games a way to have the thrill of trying new things that they would normally not have the skills, resources, or social permission to do (Lazzaro, Nicole.). Other players just need a break from the pressure of the real world and use video games as a way to escape social norm (Lazzaro, Nicole.). For others it is simply the exchange of worries, thoughts, relaxation, and feeling of achievement knowing that they did something right (Lazzaro, Nicole.). Though there is something that all of these people have in common and that is they do it because it’s fun. People just don’t like to do things that are not fun to do. Though how does this relate to education? Well to understand whether you will get a positive reaction or not you must know how they feel about it out of school. Studies show that over half of all average Americans play some kind of video game daily in their life (Taylor, Chris.). So why not transfer something the average student already does and use as an educational tool to teach them the skills I referenced earlier in this paper. No one minds learning as long as it is fun and inviting to do, and video games is a tool to be used in this form of learning. For example, when I was learning to type my friends and I would practice by playing Nitro Type, a game where you race random people and you make your car go by typing as fast as you could. Games like this are fun to play and also teach you how to type in the process. Taking this to the next level would completely change how kids learn and allow them to have fun doing it. Most students would take this over an hour lecture any day of the