The Future is Now
Gaming in schools is now a reality
A recent article on MatchMove spoke about the need to bring gaming back into schools, and about why this would be a positive change. This was backed with some research by respected researchers like Diana G. Oblinger, and Richard van Eck.
Well, it seems like games having a regular presence in the classroom isn’t as far away as we first thought.
In fact, there are already schools that use gaming as part of their regular course load.
One such school is the Quest to Learn (Q2L) institution. Based in New York, it is a school that believes in creating a learning experience for “digital kids”, or those who are growing up in the computer generation.
Make no mistake; students at Q2L do not spend all day playing “commercial” games. Instead, specific games are specially chosen to be used as tools. They allow students to step into the shoes of explorers, historians, or mathematicians. The program is about creating a rich learning experience, one that students love to take part in.
The Argyle Secondary School in Vancouver also sports a similar program. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the founder of Argyle’s Digital Media Academy (DMA) says students felt more engaged by classes involving game design.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Education is simply evolving to be relevant with today’s fast paced world. What worked twenty years ago isn’t guaranteed to be effective now. It’s not that teachers need to completely change the way they work, it’s more like they need to change with the times.
It is good to see that educators are beginning to see the value of gaming. Hopefully, this trend will continue into the future.
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