Monday, May 24, 2004
Educators Turn to Games for Help
Brad King, in his article “Educators Turn to Games for Help” (August 2003) reports that although the gaming industry has recently been scrutinized for its violence, some producers in the industry have been successful in creating training simulations for skill development. King supports this evidence by citing an example of a pilot program called “EnterTech,” which helped two-thirds of its participants either find work or enroll in continuing education. His purpose is to make readers aware that video games, although often viewed as merely just violent entertainment, can add to education. Given the information provided in the article, King appeals to an audience with an interest in what video games could do for skill development.
I believe schools as well as places of business could benefit from utilizing something more interactive. As college student desperate for a job, I have found myself nodding of while watching more than one of those boring employee training videos that look as though they were filmed 30 years ago. The only problem is that dull video was filled with valuable information I missed because it did not offer interactive learning. Programs like “EnterTech” could be just what businesses and schools need to help revive new employees and students and allow them to be more confident in their skills.
King states: “games won't be the magic bullet that saves education. Even EnterTech, with all its success, only adds depth to lessons taught during the 15 hours of teacher-directed discussion” (2). I think this is a good point that works both in the work place and in the classroom. Video games may not be as effective without hands on teaching, but when used as supplemental material, video games along with teaching may help individuals who were having trouble understanding the instructor become more focused.
I believe schools as well as places of business could benefit from utilizing something more interactive. As college student desperate for a job, I have found myself nodding of while watching more than one of those boring employee training videos that look as though they were filmed 30 years ago. The only problem is that dull video was filled with valuable information I missed because it did not offer interactive learning. Programs like “EnterTech” could be just what businesses and schools need to help revive new employees and students and allow them to be more confident in their skills.
King states: “games won't be the magic bullet that saves education. Even EnterTech, with all its success, only adds depth to lessons taught during the 15 hours of teacher-directed discussion” (2). I think this is a good point that works both in the work place and in the classroom. Video games may not be as effective without hands on teaching, but when used as supplemental material, video games along with teaching may help individuals who were having trouble understanding the instructor become more focused.
