Activity

The “Wikipedia problem” which means children turning to internet for readymade answers may be the modern phenomenon baffling teachers and mentors globally. There are almost equal amounts of teachers who consider technology to be a solution just as much as a problem. While a common belief is that technology is hindering the students’ capacity to think and analyze, gleam strong opinion in favor of video gaming and digital gadgets’ ability to engage students and enhance learning by using more than one sensory stimulators. Regardless of the growing concern about the students’ deteriorating attention spans, institutions are incorporating them in the process of classroom learning.

Children are inherently inquisitive creatures. They will have a curiosity to find new things and learn through discovering and experimenting even before they are subjected to methods of formal education such as reading or writing. Science is a discipline of experiments and discoveries. The National Science Education Standards emphasize that “science education needs to give students three forms of scientific skills and understandings. Students should try to learn the principles and concepts of science, acquire the reasoning and procedural skills of scientists, and understand the type of science as a specific form of human endeavor. Students therefore ought to be able to devise and carry out investigations that test their ideas, plus they need to understand why such investigations are uniquely powerful. Studies also show that students are more likely to understand and wthhold the concepts they have learned this way “. Hence, it becomes vital to engage children in science education at an early stage.

Digital games tend to be more competent to gain students’ interests and attention than other conventional method of imparting education in a classroom. However, some educationists also regard them as culprits of exponential decline in the eye span in children. The next sections in this post discuss the involvement of children in games in the tech age, types of games available in the market and the impact of digital gaming as learning supports classrooms.

Gaming and the New Age Kids

Digital technology has expanded the horizons of gambling in the modern world. Kids are subjected to far more complex and challenging technological environment than their counterparts were from over half a century back. Involvement of kids in digital gaming is because many significant changes in the lifestyle and culture of the modern society. Easy accessibility of technology, dispensable income because of dual income families and lack of infrastructure for outdoor activities in many cities are some major contributors in making screen games an important part of the children’s’ lives. A study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) discovered that only 20 percent of the census blocks are within half of a mile of a block boundary. Also, the effect of peer pressure can’t be undermined nowadays of social networking.

The digital gaming market is one of the fastest growing segments of the global entertainment industry. US is witnessing unprecedented penetration of digital games amongst youngsters. In america, 97% of the teens play some form of game frequently. In India, the gaming market is continuing to grow manifold within the last few years. Hence, it is imperative that educationists are continuously contemplating the use of digital gaming as a learning tool in classrooms. Institutions are also employing innovative methods to leverage the digital advantage for enhancing the learning experience at schools.

What are Digital Games?

There is no concrete definition of games as it might vary having an individual’s preference and profession. Games can be defined as a “system where players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, which create a quantifiable outcome”. Technology and digitization add new dimensions to games where simulations, interactivity, augmented reality, alternative reality, collective intelligence and sensory stimulators such as sound and visual effects. counterwin88 may also be characterized by their portability and limitless accessibility.