| cletext">It's popular belief that video games are | | | | Among the teaching fraternity, there is a half hearted |
| addictive and turn people into dull headed zombies. | | | | support for having video games as a teaching aid. |
| This supposedly wrong notion about video games is | | | | While two thirds of teachers interviewed for their |
| sought to be set right by no less than the Federation | | | | opinion thought that the video games would lead to |
| of American Scientists. | | | | "anti-social behaviours", a large majority believed that |
| Everyone agrees that repeatedly doing a thing will | | | | they developed motor, cognitive and thinking skills |
| result in almost perfecting the task. Video games by | | | | and acquire specific knowledge. In schools, it is almost |
| their very nature involve repetition to a large extent. | | | | impossible to pay personal attention to each of the |
| By repeatedly playing a game, the child gets to | | | | students and teaching according to his learning skills. |
| master the techniques and tricks to win the game. | | | | But now, some educationists believe that games |
| To win a video game you have to plan and | | | | have the potential to personalize and allow pupils to |
| strategize, as almost all the games are based on a | | | | learn at their own pace. Thinking of it, we find |
| story line of mysteries and surprises. When a child | | | | children sitting glued to computer or video games for |
| playing a game repeatedly, learns the tricks and | | | | hours together, while teachers find it difficult to keep |
| cheats to win the game by trial and error, he's honing | | | | the attention of the students for a full 40 minutes. |
| his skills in analytical thinking, multitasking, team | | | | So, it is clear that visual attraction and interacting |
| building and problem solving under pressure. These | | | | process can be used for better gain. Perhaps, if there |
| are the qualities that every employer is looking for in | | | | is a video game that is based on a lesson, say |
| his prospective employees. | | | | history, on the life of Napoleon, children would get to |
| However, one can't rejoice that playing video games | | | | know the French History better. |
| will give him /her good job, for, not all the games are | | | | As of now there are only a handful of commercial |
| so positively oriented. Except for a handful of games, | | | | games that can be used for education purposes. The |
| all others promote violence and destruction. Besides | | | | governments of the world and the gaming industry |
| this, none of the games are curriculum oriented - | | | | should fund projects that help develop games based |
| they teach nothing about science or math or | | | | on the school curriculum. Using software for teaching |
| whatever subject as in the school syllabus. So, the | | | | is different from using games. Video game is a |
| government and the industry should invest in | | | | technology that can't be wished away. It has come |
| projects to develop games that are subject oriented | | | | to stay and is eating up almost all the time the kids |
| as well as soft skills enhancing. | | | | have to spare. |