Video Games Have Educational Value

It’s official! Last week The Federation of American Scientists came out with a statement declaring that video games can redefine education. Citing a years worth of study, the FAS has “discovered” that video games can teach skills such as analytical thinking, team building, multitasking and problem-solving under duress which employers will be looking for in the future.

The article goes on to say that while the audience is obviously there, the gaming industry has thus far been resistant to pouring dollars into R&D as the titles just don’t make money. It also calls for additional academic research into which features of gaming facilitate learning and how to measure the skills students learn in games. The idea being that the federal government would help underwrite the cost of the research. The article ends with a terrific quote from Don Blake, a technology analyst for the NEA. Blake states, “Ultimately teachers need to see games as a way to help — not as a threat.”