Games are fun but is there more to them? As I reflect upon this question I do understand that there is more to gaming than just fun, there is an educational element attached to gaming as well. In many situations, it is highly beneficial for students to be assisted by game-based learning environments. According to Marc Prensky, “Games are not the enemy. Today’s kids want to be engaged, and their games not only engage them but teach them valuable lessons in the process—lessons that we want them to learn.” (Marc Prensky, 2003).  Learning games enables learners to become more attentive and motivated which allows them to engage with the content. 

 

Before engaging with the articles, I was one with the idea of using game-based learning/ medium environments to encourage learning. There’s more to games than just fun. Using games to teach students in certain fields encourages motivation and participation in activities and lessons. By creating a fun environment for students, the learners become more confident within the specified fields of learning and help retain the long-term memory. According to Mark Prensky, he states that “When you are enjoying yourself and laughing, changes in the chemical balance of your blood boosts the production of neurotransmitters needed for alertness and memory. When you feel threatened, tired, and helpless you lose your ability to recall information, notice things around you ask questions, and think creatively.”. (Marc Prensky, 2001). Not all games are considered educational or used for a specific purpose however, it is can be used as an encouragement mechanism to boost the learner's level of confidence. This is not just confidence academically but socially as well, allowing the students to diverse and easily make friends. 

 

Learning occurs as a result of the feedback provided by a game. There is a lot of continuous learning going on even in games that are solely commercial and not at all a game-based learning environment. The player is continually learning how the game works, the underlying model used by the designer, how to progress, and how to advance to the next stage and win. “In 2004, University of Rochester neuroscientists C. Shawn Green and Daphne Bavelier made headlines across the U.S. with their findings that playing action, video, and computer games positively affects players’ “visual selective attention.” In plain language, that means that video-game playing kids learn, in situations where many things are going on at the same time, how to identify and concentrate on the most important things and filter out the rest. “ (Marc Prensky 2003) 

 

In culmination, my views on whether gaming is fun or if there is more to them have not been changed but rather enhanced after reading various articles on the topic. I do believe that there is more to gaming and that is education purposes that are coupled with it. Students become more motivated to learn through using gaming-based learning environments, as it captures their attention, by creating a fun environment for them enabling them to interact with the lesson, activities, and others. Also enhancing their social abilities, by encouraging confidence through interaction with others.

 

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