The positive impact of video games on the academic performance of students

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/28/2009

Category :

Social studies

Sub category :

Educational studies

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Summary :

Introduction
Video game playing as a means of informal learning
Definition of informal learning
Views on the addictive behavior towards video games
The standard way of thinking about video games
Learning of imperative spatial and cognitive skills by playing video games
The importance of motivation for improving performances
Conclusion
Bibliography

Abstract

Have you every worried that playing video games, a popular pastime for many, will interfere with your schoolwork? If you answer yes, do not worry anymore. As a college student, I have often found myself playing video games. I have also often wondered whether I should be doing something more "productive" with my time, like studying or reading. Many of my peers and I have spent numerous hours playing video games and have often worried that our academics will be affected. Never has it crossed my mind that video games could actually help my academic performance. I always viewed video games as a method of fun and in no way did I think that they could be educational. However, I was surprised, and relieved, to find that recent research and evidence shows that video game play can actually be very beneficial to one's academics. According to the Federation of American Scientists and the Entertainment Software Association, video games can help students learn and develop higher-order thinking skills (Lister 45). Although conventional wisdom has it that video game play will have only harmful effects on one's academics, I say that video games in fact help accelerate one's learning and therefore improve one's academic performance.In this essay, I will present video game play as a means of informal learning that will prove to have a positive effect on the academic performance of college students. First, I will discuss exactly what I mean by "informal learning". Next, I will allow my readers to understand to understand how influential video games are by describing the large audience that they reach. I will then move on to break down informal learning into the certain types of skills I believe will impact the academic performance of college students the most. These include spatial skills, cognition and motivation. I will discuss the "Serious Gaming Initiative" which will demonstrate that action is already being done to promote video games as a way on improving one's learning and knowledge. I will also discuss certain types of video games and what players can learn about subjects like math and vocabulary, just by playing these games. I will then provide arguments that help prove my thesis, as well as counter-argue some past research done by scholars in this field that may have overlooked the positive effects of video games. Finally, focusing on the home as the location and video games as the means of this informal learning, I intend for my readers to understand how the skills developed through informal learning will indeed help one's academic performance.