Is Online Gaming Good For Learning?
Online games get a bad rep for being a waste of time, addictive, and “rots your brain”. While gaming can be addictive if left unchecked, the others are myths. Online games can actually foster learning and provide an outlet for creative thinking. Scholar Carol Dweck’s research found that gaming can support the development of a growth mindset instead of the (detrimental for learning) fixed mindset (Walker, 2019). The growth mindset is supported through video game benefits such as developing grit, student engagement (when incorporated in classrooms), learning mistakes, and problem-solving to reach the desired outcome/reward from the game.
3 key tips for parents or teachers when it comes to establishing and supporting kids’ safe and healthy online gaming habits:
1.) While video games can be beneficial for learning, they should be incorporated and used in moderation. To reduce addiction or prevent it, parents should keep devices out of the bedroom, monitor or create a routine for how long per day, and encourage non-digital activities like playing outside with friends (Kamenetz, 2019).
2.) Teach about digital safety and privacy (important for chat rooms, etc.)
3.) Take an interest in your child’s online world and interests. Have healthy discussions about the games (e.g. “what levels did you pass/what did you accomplish?” “what was tricky for you?”)
While I know many people of all ages love online gaming, I personally am not a “gamer”. Instead, for my case study, I decided to look into the benefits of video games that incorporate (or are structured to teach) coding. More specifically, since I am studying to be an elementary school teacher, I am focusing on games that introduce coding to kids. There are many benefits to learning how to code at a young age, as it promotes critical thinking, presenting open problem spaces (problem-solving where there are multiple possible solutions), and creativity, to name a few (Baker, 2019). One game I learned about that is great for introducing children to coding is called CodeSpark Academy. A first-grader I was recently working with was introduced to this game by his school’s technology teacher and he loved it and has learned a lot from it! It is set up in levels that the child has to create a sequence of movements (e.g. jump, walk forward, throw) to get the character to make it to the end while also collecting stars. While this game is structured for coding learning, there are other video games that provide learning benefits (like problem-solving and critical thinking), such as Minecraft and Super Mario Bros.
