Draft Summary of Video Games and the Future of Learning (106-03)

Draft summary from afternoon section:
Video games are beginning to change the way we learn, and will continue to do so in the future. Kids learn important lessons by playing these games, lessons they may not otherwise learn until they become adults, such as politics, economics, etc. The Simms presidential election integrates real-life social events; they also become part of a global community and are able to interact with people around the world.

The previous model of teaching was more so based on the regurgitation of facts on a later date. Schools are currently in a transformation from fact fetish to more interactive ways of thinking by using software integration. This new way is more beneficial because what you learn coincides with everyday activites as opposed to the general learning in schools. For example, in Full Spectrum Warrior, the goal is to succeed as a warrior. And as a warrior, you learn multiple beneficial traits to help in daily activites. There is no single concrete test to prove what knowledge you have acquired in life.

Epistemic games expose players to the real world and transform thinking to recognize solutions for complex problems. While playing epistemic games, players are introduced to different roles, such as doctors, vets, journalists, and historians, thus learning how the professionals handle their jobs. Also, players are put through a number of simulations which place them in a world where the common ideas are obsolete and the player is forced to think outside the box, therefore modifying their thoughts to come up with a new solution to fix the problem.
Epistemic games lend themselves to education by creating knowledge in a different way. They introduce a new way of learning that is not solely based on facts, but rather based of knowledge acquired through experience and interaction. The potential for innovation that videogames have is hindered by the negative perceptions teachers have of them.

The implications that have been made so far are all encouraging, but in the future we need to base video games on educational values. We need to understand how virtual worlds will develop people’s social skills and knowledge. People will always learn from video games, but it is up to us to decide what they learn.