Serious games : the futuristic teaching tools
What is a serious game ?
A serious game is a video game having the vocation to educate children. Serious games are the accepted term for games with an educational intent. They have to be engaging but not necessarily fun. They are also use in other environments like military and health.
Are serious games efficient with children ?
Should we use it in schools as a new educational tool ?
Education of the future
Digital games, including simulation and virtual worlds, have the potential to be an important and great teaching tool because they are interactive, engaging and immersive activities. And children look for ludic activities.
Serious games exist for every age, the level or the subject is suitable in accordance with the age of the child. Then, children can learn to count, tell the time, poems or later, solve hard math problems or learn history thourgh submerging themselves in a virtual world.
We can count several benefits from serious games :
Today, our society is governed by progress, digital and new technologies. Children nowadays are bathed in it since their birth. So, to me, it's an advantage for them to learn new things thank to a support they know well.
Plus, serious games are related to the video games they play at home : they'll see interest and pleasure in it. And they'll probably learn easily through play.
In my opinion, serious games are an efficient teaching tool that we could totally instaure at school (if it's used with moderation). But it doesn't mean that we have to give up copy books ! They proved us well their efficiency for decades, but we can't go against progress...
Photo : lesjeunesjournalistes.wordpress.com
You'll find in this link some examples of good serious games : http://www.seriousgamesdirectory.com/proj/education/
Emila Gilly
SOURCES
http://media.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Serious-Games_Review.pdf