URL of the essay: Learning from the Success of Computer Games
Title of Essay: Learning from the Success of Computer Games
Paragraph summarizing essay:
This essay is about how we can learn in a different way by using computer games as an example of how to challenge and reward a student and to a degree the teacher. I agree with the premise that, ìPeople learn best when challenged -- just enough to be confused, just enough to be motivated to search, to struggle, and to achieve. The computer games of today offer scenarios that create a great sense of reward through action and consequence. Education has always offered this as well, but not in the same form as computer games. Computer games are constructed in a way that we experience them within our own conceptual structures. This construction works best because the scenario is rigged so as to lead us to the ideas, to force us to confront them and understand them. Just being shown ideas and thoughts of other is fine and works for the most part, but the degree of enthusiasm in the student isn't as intense as if that student finds and resolves the problem through personal confrontation, exploration and resolution. As stated, ìTechnology is not the answer, but proper technology coupled with informed instruction, coupled with teachers that are coaches, guides and mentors, can lead the way.î
Paragraph indicating why I picked this specific essay and my personal response:
I picked this essay because comparing computer games to education methods is pretty interesting. The idea of creating problems and tasks in an educational environment that are as cool and clever as computer game problems makes sense to me. Creating the same type of excitement in a student that a games does is a great concept. It is very inspirational to think of a time when an educational environment would give a student the means to dive into a task and willfully work hard to learn the required skills to succeed. Though, in this way, the skills learned would be those needed to succeed in real life. Learning this way wouldn't be boring and would remove most of the drudgery prevalent in today's system. To constantly keep one's mind engaged on the profound is reward enough, but for it to be regarding issues and problems related to being successful in society is extremely exciting.
McMichael, 4/13/2011
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