What would be more interesting to do, read a textbook about economics, or go have some fun playing games? Many people would prefer playing games because it is more fun and entertaining. However, many people, especially parents, say that video games are harmful to their children, causing low grades in schools, and promoting negative emotions. Video games can both have negative and positive features, such as education; it is just a matter of choosing the right types of games. In the last 30 years, video games have been a popular youth culture hobby that can promote education to those who play.

Video Games can encourage people think in a different way. James Gee, Ph.D., has done an interview on the learning concept of video games. He is a professor of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education at UW-Madison. He is also an author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. He argues that games are a very well designed learning machine that can get someone to learn well from them. Many games have been designed to make people think about complex schemes to solve problems in this perplexed world, and not just learning about simple science or geography. He states that we can learn from playing games, but also the games can be good tools for getting people to learn. Video games can teach concepts that many schools do not teach. For example, games can go into more in-depth when it comes to testing, deeper learning, and conceptual learning. Commercial games have learning skills that are important in the modern world. Specific games can teach specific subjects, such as history. History is a composite subject to learn, and many students do not enjoy themselves reading about someone that lived centuries ago. The game has certain goals that cause players to have that motivation to achieve those goals. The motivation in the game is what makes games so entertaining because the players like the world they are in. Why many players like to play is because they are in a different world, with different people, and different environment.

There are other games, however, that do not promote education: first-person shooting. A first person shooter is a violent action video game that promotes shooting of enemies, usually human, with the use of guns. The camera is viewed as if the player is in the game, seeing the character’s first person perspective. Playing the game for long periods of time can cause negative impact to the mind. In the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, there have been two studies involving college students and the interaction with the violent games. In the first study, 227 college students have reported their aggressive behaviors in the past. The students who played more violent games in middle school and high school engaged in more delinquency and the longer the students played the video games, the lower the academic scores in college. The second study involved 210 college students played either violent games, such as Wolfenstien 3D, or nonviolent games, such as Myst. The students who played the violent game gave off a loud noise blast with varying intensity for a longer time than the student who played the nonviolent game. Violent video games, such as the first person shooters, can be more harmful than watching violent television or movie because of the interaction between the player and the game.    

Studies have been conducted involving students playing educational video games. According to research conducted by the University of Central Florida (UCF), students that played educational video games showed an increase score on district benchmark tests than those who did not play the games. Out of 25 points, the average increase score for the experimented group was 8.07 points, while students in the control group had an increased score of 3.74 points. Researchers also found that teacher training with the focus on the integration of games was crucial to enhance student learning and that students learn more when they are in pairs or groups rather than playing and learning alone because the interaction between the students enhances their social skills and they naturally are able to collect more information.

There are many aspects in gaming, from trying to defeat a boss in an adventure game, to become the first to cross the finish line in a car race. These games can be competitive, individualistic, or co-operative. BECTA, formerly known as the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency, is a Non-Departmental Public Body of the Department for Children, Schools and Families in the United Kingdom. Many researches have been conducted involving the education in video games and how children can learn from games. BECTA explains that in a game, having excitement is important because this contributes in achieving the goal in the game, therefore, being motivated. There would be no point in playing a game if it is too easy or too hard, so the motivation is lost. Games induce conditions that encourage the player to continue playing the game. The conditions may include desire, satisfaction, anger, enjoyment, excitement, achievement in victory, disapprobation and approbation of peers and other people. These combinations benefits education because their emotion would change often, rather than either have only anger in the game because it is too hard to win, or so much satisfaction that they can beat all other games. These games promote the player to have fun, because that is what a player wants to have when playing the game. Different people reflect “fun” in different ways, in cases where it is useful to consider motivation and fun to have the same effect. Player’s largest motivation is mastery–the oath that with enough concentration and energy, they are able to master the software, if not, then the machine.

Examples of video games that promote education include:

The Sims

This a simulation game where players are able to build their own house in the suburbs, going through virtual daily activities, such as sleeping, reading, eating, and bathing. Since there is no objective or any way to finish the game, players are able to control their virtual people with no time limit. Upon beginning the game, players choose their virtual people’s skin color, gender, age, and an optional biography. Creating a “Sim” consists of creating a family that can hold no more than eight members. Once the Sim is created, they cannot be changed physically or mentally. No matter how large the family, they are given a limited amount of money to build their home. This enhances the player’s planning skills. Sims must find a job in order to continue paying their bills. Just like in real life, people must work in a well-paid job in order to pay off items, such as the house, electric bill, water bill, etc. If the Sims is unable to pay their bills, then their home will be repossessed, so this teaches players to use their money wisely, especially if their Sims is going to buy unnecessary items. Players also have to manage their Sims schedules with needed fulfillment so that they can continue living in their home without consequences. For example, if there is no bathroom, then they wet themselves. If they have no fun, then they become depressed. When Sims have these low motives, then they become extremely rude to other Sims by insulting them, slapping them, or even attacking them. There is failure in the game. Players can die from starvation if food is unavailable. If they are left in a fire with no help, then they will burn to death. They can drown in a large body of water if there is no help. They can even die from a virus that comes from a guinea pig with a dirty cage. When a Sim dies, their ghost will haunt their home and other Sims may leave and never come back. Therefore, this game can promote planning skills, strategy, and managing time and money to those who play.

Zoo Tycoon

This is a business simulator computer game where the player must build a zoo and make a profit from the people entering the zoo. One of the main goals for the player in the game is to build many different exhibits, with the right habitat, and place the right animal for that habitat. The player must make the animals and people happy by having a variety of exhibits, different types of buildings, and scenery. Players learn the basic idea of what animals go with what habitat. For example, a lion should be placed in a savanna environment, and not in an arctic environment. Players also learn the different foliage and rocks that go with the environment. For example, a grizzly bear prefers large pine trees rather than cactuses. Different combination of animals can be placed in one exhibit, such as deer and zebras; they both enjoy having each other. However, a deer should not be placed in a lion’s cage; it makes the lion happy, but the deer would not be happy in that situation. Other miscellaneous situation that affects the animals’ happiness includes the size of the exhibit, the type of fencing, amount and type of terrain and water, and their care from a zookeeper. Players also learn a little about the economics of the game. Different buildings, such as bathrooms, shops, restaurant, drink and food stands, and entertainment buildings can help with the profit, as well as the happiness from the animals and people, which allow the player to gain awards and steady income.

Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings

This is a real-time strategy game. The game is about creating towns and cities, gathering resources, and ultimately destroying enemies and their towns. In this way, players are able to conquer other towns. Players advance their tribe through “Ages,” starting at the Dark Age, then upgrade to Feudal Age, Castle Age, and finally, Imperial Age. This game gives a historical time event where the player is in the time scene with accurate facts and must achieve victory. The game also teaches techniques that are used at war at the time, using strategy to win a battle.

City Traders

This game allows students to have an idea of trading of stocks and how certain factors of the economy or in the business could influence the price of relevant stocks or shares. In the game, you are the manager of the trading firm, with three cities and six companies in each city that trade with each other. This is a very complex game, and the player must pay research, maintenance, wages, new employees, etc. in their environment.

 Video games have been a large help to promote education to students. Research and studies have been conducted to encourage students to start playing educational games and enhance their learning. With the technology increasing everyday, learning in school will be easier than ever before. In conclusion, there is education in video games; it is just a matter of looking for the right game. All it takes is a little motivation and determination to play an educational game and begin becoming a better student in school.