Online Gaming and Education – Learning Beyond the Classroom
Online Gaming and Education: Learning Beyond the Classroom
The increasing prevalence of digital technology in the twenty-first century urges educational researchers to explore ways for students to build their social and collaborative skills through gaming. Unlike traditional educational games, which mostly rely on a single student to play, digital and virtual games encourage students to interact with other players as well as their instructors, and promote collaboration between them (Carpenter, 2015).Source: https://www.santarosacatholic.org/
Gaming and Education: Exploring Learning Beyond the Classroom in Online Environments
Moreover, reality-based scenarios and action-oriented game activities also urge students to become organised, adapt to new tasks, and resolve emerging conflicts, which further promotes the cognitive construction of knowledge through collaborative gameplay (Sitzmann et al., 2011).
These features of digital games and simulations, therefore, can help to enhance students’ metacognitive abilities by encouraging them to reflect on their own actions in the gaming environment. This in turn may contribute to a more effective and meaningful learning experience (Chen, 2015).
However, while online gaming provides opportunities for a more holistic approach to learning, students should be aware of the potential risks associated with it. Problematic gaming can lead to conflicts between parents and their children about the types of video games played or the amount of time spent on them, as well as problems with physical health and hygiene such as obesity, vision problems, dehydration, achy muscles and poor sleep quality.
Educators who rely solely on the traditional classroom as their only venue for teaching and learning are missing out on an opportunity to help students cultivate a love of learning that extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. Whether through a video tutorial, a Google Earth trip around the world or an interactive art exhibition, a passion for something other than their video games can help to give students the motivation and enthusiasm to learn more about their subject matter.
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