Comments on: Online Education and Video Games: Best Friends or Mortal Enemies? http://www.worldwidelearn.com/worldwideblog/online-degrees/online-education-and-video-games-best-friends-or-mortal-enemies/ WorldWideLearn's Online Education Blog Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:16:55 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Nearly Graduated Office Worker http://www.worldwidelearn.com/worldwideblog/online-degrees/online-education-and-video-games-best-friends-or-mortal-enemies/comment-page-1/#comment-6030 Nearly Graduated Office Worker Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:10:26 +0000 http://www.worldwidelearn.com/worldwideblog/online-degrees/online-education-and-video-games-best-friends-or-mortal-enemies/#comment-6030 When I was addicted to video games (super mario bros and kid icarus) as a teenager, I remember my father shrugging with frustration and saying something like, "well, at least you're not watching TV." I thought of this when I read your post. Although I think they can be dangerous if overused, as you said in your post, I also think that they require thinking (problem solving, etc.), and that's a far cry from sitting mesemerized in front of most of the stuff on TV. I don't know about the games that are currently available (although I have seen some of them played by friends), but it seems like game companies could, if they were motivated to, make games with additional educational components. A cross between Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and Shooter? Maybe not. I'd have to look into this further, but in my luddite gut, I feel that sitting in front of a screen punching buttons to make things happen in an electronic fantasy land will never be as good as using your brain to read about things, or getting up off the couch and actually doing something. Education and video games may not be mortal enemies, but they certainly aren't best buds either. When I was addicted to video games (super mario bros and kid icarus) as a teenager, I remember my father shrugging with frustration and saying something like, “well, at least you’re not watching TV.” I thought of this when I read your post. Although I think they can be dangerous if overused, as you said in your post, I also think that they require thinking (problem solving, etc.), and that’s a far cry from sitting mesemerized in front of most of the stuff on TV. I don’t know about the games that are currently available (although I have seen some of them played by friends), but it seems like game companies could, if they were motivated to, make games with additional educational components. A cross between Where in the World is Carmen San Diego and Shooter? Maybe not.

I’d have to look into this further, but in my luddite gut, I feel that sitting in front of a screen punching buttons to make things happen in an electronic fantasy land will never be as good as using your brain to read about things, or getting up off the couch and actually doing something. Education and video games may not be mortal enemies, but they certainly aren’t best buds either.

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