As a teacher in this new digital world, it is extremely important that we include all types of technologies that appeal to and are utilised by this generation. The conflict between gaming and it’s advantages and disadvantages for children has continued through the decades and is now becoming of increasing concern for parents and teachers in the amount of time spent by students playing online games, computer games, PS4 and Xbox.
However, does the gaming world really have such a negative influence upon our students? In my opinion it doesn’t.
Familiar and popular games can be incorporated into the curriculum as an engaging and ‘eye opening’ concept that enables students to begin critical thinking, and explores ideas that continue to stimulate students thinking inside and outside their classroom as they engage with the game on a daily basis.
The online game World of Warcraft (WoW) has been analysed by academics for many years, to consider its use as an educational tool to present narrative structures and quest motives. Katrina Schwartz (2013) in her online article “World of Warcraft finds it’s way into the classroom” asserts that students are benefiting from alternate resources to engage learners outside that seen in a traditional classroom.
I have included a link below to the article by Schwartz that discusses further appreciation of gaming in education.
Here is my own SPLODER game I managed to create!
- Schwartz, K. (2013, 5 March). World of Warcraft finds its way into the classroom. Mind/Shift. Retrieved from: http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/03/world-of-warcraft-finds-its-way-into-class/