What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

In the excerpt from James Paul Gee, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, he states that video games are effective in helping children to learn. Additionally video games help to develop character such as strength, dexterity, intelligence and so forth.

This reading shared a slightly different perspective from most of the other readings regarding gaming, because it seems to address the benefits of learning from playing video games . Most other games tend to focus on the ability to join the "second world" and play a character or become a character that you would not be in the "real world", or to posess things that you wouldn't normally possess. Although, James Paul Gee does state in his article that part of the learning experience is the ability to be able to switch characters and act out that character while demonstrating or executing various skills, the main theme is learning.

I found this reading quite insightful, because often it is stated that the younger generation that grew up with the computer, and played video games, posess various skills that the older generation does not. This is truly apparent in the workplace when you observe the older generation such as the "Baby Boomer" compared to "Generation X". The older generation (not all) tend to shy away from computers and video games while the younger generation embraces the computer.

This reading also help me to be more objective regarding gaming. I can truly relate to the statement that playing video games help to build dexterity as well as other skills. Learning is essential in ones growth and gaming may be effective in helping many individuals to learn.



Gee, James Paul, What Video Games have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy