persuasive essay video games can be educational

Chapter 6: 21st-century media and issues

6.5.4 Video games in the world of education (research essay)

Anonymous English 102 Writer

The relationship between education and new technologies, more specifically video games, has long been debated about and judged without a full understanding of the actual potential of the combination of the two. New methods such as using video games as an education tool are almost always overlooked by educators even though they may be missing out on a niche form of education that can keep students far more engaged in the subject they are learning while also encouraging them to continue learning because they are also having fun. It is also often overlooked that playing video games can potentially in some way increase the players’ skills in communication through the usage and improvement of communication required in some games. I share the belief that video games have great potential to be used as a tool for education if more educators would give them a shot and test them out. I also believe that video games have very high potential to improve the communication skills of those who play them. There are also many researchers and educators who share these beliefs and would like to see the use of video games as an education tool more widespread in the future. Many of these researchers and educators that believe in the use of video games as an education tool are of this opinion because they have tested this on students and found results that sway them to see the potential of this form of teaching. Though obviously video games could never become a primary education tool or mainstream form of communication, I think that video games could be utilized well as a form of education and that they could be used by many as a way to improve their communication skills.

Personally, I think video games have a good positive effect on the communication skills of those who play them. I have been playing video games for a large portion of my life and I think the form of communication within some of the more competitive games can have an effect on my communication skills. I think they do this by forcing the player to communicate in the typical form of the game which then have an effect on real world communication skills. In my experience, this increase in communication skill comes from the specific form of communication that happens in competitive video games. This includes games such as one of my personal favorites, Call of Duty Warzone. In order to communicate effectively, the players must communicate through quick and effective bursts of information. In Warzone, my teammates and I must communicate quickly to tell each other important information such as the location of enemies, or where to find valuable resources such as weapons, ammunition and armor. I can do this by either talking to the teammates through a microphone, or using a system called pinging. Pinging is an in game system where you look at an item or location you want to show to your teammates, then hit a button to place a ping there that is displayed to the rest of your team. The most effective way to communicate in Warzone is a combination of both pinging and rapid verbal communication. This way a player can verbally tell their teammates exactly what they are talking about while simultaneously pinging it to show their teammates visually. With the visual indicator on the screen from the ping, and the verbal description from teammates, it should be the most efficient way to tell a teammates something quickly. While some other games also have a pinging system, most force the players to be most reliant on communicating verbally with quick and information packed sentences. This is because while playing these games, the players do not have time to communicate with each other in long detailed sentences. They need to cut down the time it takes to relay information to teammates or often it will be too late for that information to be important anymore. In the time I have played video games I find most of this to be accurate and I believe it has had at least some effect on my communication skills in high stress situations. I also have personal experience with the use of video games education. When I was in elementary school, I frequently used a computer game to help me practice my speed of completing math equations. Even though I was learning the same thing that the teacher was teaching at school, I was much more engaged and interested because a game was more fun that simply doing equations on a sheet of paper. I think that this kind of education can be used much more often to keep students engaged with the subject they are learning. Overall, I have a good connection to this subject and feel confident in the positive relationship between video games and education as well as communication skills.

First, I will explore the research on the topic of the relationship between playing video games and communication skills. A question that I think is important to answer about this topic is how does video game communication effect real world communication skills. Many researchers have studied this relationship to examine video games effects on communication. One such researcher is Kenneth Horowitz in his article “Video Games and English as a Second Language: The Effect of Massive Multiplayer Online Video Games on The Willingness to Communicate and Communicative Anxiety of College Students in Puerto Rico”. In this article Horowitz studies a group of students from Puerto Rico who are attempting to learn English while using video games as one of their forms of learning. As they play these games it works on their English communication skills furthering their knowledge of the language. Horowitz regards new technology and the internet as a whole as a fascinating new potential form of education and more specifically a form of improving the communication skills in those who are learning a new language (Horowitz 379). Because this study revolves around students who are learning English rather than improving on the English skills they already have it is a slightly different situation than the research question asks but still mostly related enough to be relevant. The research was gathered through two questionaries given through the internet to the research participants further relating the connection to the internet and technology to education (Horowitz 391). This means there was a variety of ways for the participants of the study to express the affect the study had on them to diversify the results. While the participants played a wide variety of video game titles and genres, the results and levels of communication between the players did not change but stayed at a similar level relative to each other (Horowitz 398). While the messages players communicate to each other in these different games titles and genres may be different it still requires the same kind of communicative skill to get the message across to teammates effectively. Overall, the relationship between the time of video games played and the skill in communication is a positive correlation (Horowitz 398). When applied to the research question about Video Games correlation to real world communication skills, Horowitz’s research would seem to suggest that Video games do in fact have a positive effect on a person’s real life communication skills in a significant way. Another article that deals with this research question is “Games at Work: Examining a Model of Team Effectiveness in an Interdependent Gaming Task” by Sylvia Luu and Anupama Narayan. This article is another one that deals with how video games and gamification can help people work better as a team in other aspects of life other than video games. The term gamification is used frequently throughout the article, and I think this term is a great term to relate to this essay and the research questions within it as a whole. As stated in the article, gamification could be described as a way of applying skills and aspects of video game behavior into real life situations and circumstances as a way to more efficiently handle them when the need arises (Luu and Narayan 110). The gamification of everyday tasks or especially tasks that have to do with communication and education relates directly to the research question of video games having an effect on real world communication skills. In this article’s experiment a wide range of students volunteered to take part by working together in a video game designed to specifically bring out the teamwork and communication skills of those who played it (Luu and Narayan 114). In contrast to Horowitz’s study, this experiment uses its own game in contrast with Horowitz allowing the participants in the study to play whatever game they chose by themselves. This provides a different point of view and wider range of research data to support this main concept of improvement in communication skill. In the end of the study, it was shown that more communication between the players in the game lead to better performance overall and satisfaction between teammates (Luu and Narayan 116). When the players who participated in the study communicated more it led to a higher rate of success and level of approving between teammates which could be translated to communication in real life scenarios and demonstrates how the communication in video games is not all that different from communication in real life. Yet another article that deals with the ways video games have an effect on a person’s communication skills is “Using video game to enhance English communication skills” by Alex Roach and Yeski Utami. Once again, this article similarly dives into the gamification of education and communication and how video games can incentivize and reward the improvement of communication skills. The article goes over several types of games that can benefit from good communication skills including co-operative games which are directly related to the players working together and communicating as well as they can in order to accomplish their tasks effectively (Roach and Utami 202). Multiple different genres and types of video games have varying degrees of connection to communication and how it can be improved. The research done in this article was based on two different games played by several groups of students in order to diversify and expand the range of results possible to be shown in the data of the experiment (Roach and Utami 203). With multiple different games to play it becomes easier to show and more apparent that the results of one game are not an outlier to the hypothesis. In the results of the experiment, it is believed that the communication between players had a very positive effect on the success in playing the games and that good communication was very important and incentivized for a good performance (Roach and Utami 204). When the students in the experiment communicated better, they performed better in the experiment which shows the strong connection between playing video games and communication skills. Another, more specific article on this topic is “Can game-based learning enhance engineering communication skills?” by Cheyrl Bondar and Renee Clark. Obviously, this article is of a similar topic as the last few but is more specifically relegated to the topic of engineering students using video games in a similar way as the others. This article is based on a study on several hundred engineering students who were asked to write and deliver a presentation on a subject while first using video games as a way to see how the effect the skill in communication among these engineering students (Bondar and Clark 25-26). Though the final presentation these students are composing is not about video games or communication skills, the way video games are implemented into the study still creates an effective situation for the research to show how video games can affect communication skills in these students. The way the video games were used in this study was the students developed their own games specifically designed around different types of communication such as verbal, nonverbal and written communication. These games were meant to test each student in how well they can properly use these different types of communication to complete their assigned final presentations (Bondar and Clark 35). As the students play these several different games with varying objectives, they are also working together closely much like how they will need to for their presentations at the end of the year. In the final results of this study, it was discovered that the positive correlation in communication skills was only found in the level of out loud verbal communication skills (Bondar and Clark 39). This finding shows how playing video games improves the communication each of the players have with and between each other. It seems to show that as the players proceed through the games, they mainly communicate out loud with each other even when playing the games designed around other forms of communication therefor having a much greater effect on their verbal communication skills rather than non-verbal communication skills. Overall, this article and its research show that even when working towards an unrelated goal, video game players who are effectively communicating with each other will see a great improvement in their level of skill in that same kind of verbal communication. My second to last piece of writing on this particular research question is a CNN article titled “Video Games Help Children Improve Literacy, Communication and Mental Well-Being, Survey Finds” by Alaa Elassar. This article and its message are based on a survey administered to several thousand teenagers in a small range of different ages on how they believe playing video games effects their lives. They are asked about how they think playing video games has an effect on multiple different aspects including their skill in reading as well as their writing ability (Elassar). Many people including those in the age range of this survey know that playing video games and reading and writing skills are much more closely related than most would think. These teenagers who participated in the survey also report that the video games they play are a major topic of discussion between them and their friends when they talk (Elassar). While this particular finding may not show direct increase in communication skill related to video games, it does show that playing video games can increase the amount of communicating a person does throughout their day both while playing and when they are not. Many of these teens think playing their video games are a fun and entertaining way for them to build connections and friendships both with people they know in real life and with new people they meet online through the games (Elassar). This shows that playing video games creates and strengthens connections between those who play them together. In a somewhat unrelated note, the participants of the survey also report that playing video games helps reduce their stress and other negative feelings (Elassar). Overall, the playing of video games has a positive effect on most children who play them both in their ability to communicate and on their mental well being. Finally, I have one more online article titled “Video Games Level up Life Skills” by Kathryn Hulick. This article is a simple online piece of writing that conveys the message of how video games can build their valuable life skills such as communication and improvisation or resourcefulness (Hulick). As players play video games, they work on these skills by stimulating their minds in a casual and entertaining way. The article references a study conducted in Scotland about students who played video games during their school week to see if it had any effect on their school performance (Hulick). In comparison to the control group that played no video games during the study did not show as big of an improvement in the traits they were asked to report on, resourcefulness, adaptability and communication skills, as the group of students who did play video games consistently throughout the two months the study was conducted over (Hulick). All of these articles display a very strong connection between communication skills and the amount of video games the players play.

The second part of this essay will be focused around a different connection to video games. The research question for this portion is can video games be used as an effective education tool. The first source I would like to use for this topic is “Video Games Can Develop Graduate Skills in Higher Education Students: A Randomized Trial” by Matthew Barr. This article is based on a trail to show how video games can be used as an education tool. The study is about a group of subjects who were asked to play video games and report how they were affected in a cognitive and social context (Barr 86). The participants play a wide variety of games that have the potential to have educational value to explore many different methods of teaching from a video game. By the end of the research, it was shown that the students involved in the study did show good results for a test administered by the researchers possibly indicating a link between video games and effective communication skills (Barr 90). This shows what my research question aims to ask that video games while not a main source of education can be used as a tool for educating in some instances where it applies and for specific skills. The next source for this research question is titled quite simply “Gaming as a Teaching Tool” written by Brandon Baker. This source is another website article that aims to point out a positive connection between video game playing and engaging education for students. The article discusses many ways video games are being used in various different environments including the military, fitness, and of course schools themselves (Baker). With such a diverse range of games and genres it is possible for video games to be used in hundreds of different contexts and environments as an educational tool in one way or another. Professor Yasmin Kafai certifies that video games have a long extensive history in education and that their modern surge in use is nothing new as Professor Kafai verifies with the course she created titled Video Games and the Virtual World which deals extensively with how video games can be used for educational purposes in many different scenarios (Baker). As Professor Kafai’s course most likely verifies, video games have had a long history of educational purposes even when it may not seem very obvious or apparent. There are many games that have very specific educational values and themes that were made exclusively for classroom education purposes rather than for entertainment purposes such as a game titled Math Blasters (Baker). Although there are some games that are made specifically for educational purposes and not for entertainment purposes, it is still possible and even likely that more entertainment focused video game titles are capable of having educational value whether it is intended or not. Recent events, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, have shown that video games and other technology based methods can be extremely effective and sometimes vital to a learning environments benefit (Baker). When the world of education suddenly became almost entirely reliant on technology to administer its lessons to students it is possible that many educators became at least somewhat aware that video games have a much higher potential of educational use than many would have previously thought. In summation, Baker’s article is very aware and expressive of how the world of education is already very much connected to video games and that they have a bright future in the educational field now that technology has taken on such a crucial role in the field. Another source that deals with this topic is “A New Venue for Video Games: K-12 Classrooms” written by Carolyn Jones. This article begins by describing a teacher who struggled to keep his students engaged and interested in the subject matter until he instituted video games as a way to make his class more engaging and fun for the students. He began to use Minecraft: Education Edition as a part of his history class and witnessed as it drastically increased his student’s engagement with the course material (Jones). When students are given a more entertaining way to learn the same material as a more traditional classroom experience can offer, the entertaining option will usually be much more appealing and effective at keeping the students interested in the material. Other educational games such as Dragon Box focus around other school subjects such as math to provide a wider range of teaching ability across multiple different possible forms of presentation (Jones). Many games have specialty areas of education just like different teachers are more informed on certain subjects. My last source for this question is “The Benefits of Gaming in Education: the Build A World Case” which has no listed author. The article states that gaming has numerous social and psychological benefits to its players and that these benefits have countless positive effects even in the area of education (The Benefits of Gaming). These benefits are often somewhat overlooked but have a very great impact on students and other young people who play video games. As students play video games they are idly and subconsciously improving their critical thinking and technical skills due to the quick snap decisions and puzzle solving that many games have included within them (The Benefits of Gaming). Video games are not often made purposfully with the goal of education in mind but they very often include puzzles and other stimulating challenges that require the player to think critically. Overall These sources all seem to indicate that there is a strong relationship between video games and the field of education.

Works Cited

Horowitz, Kenneth S. “Video Games and English as a Second Language: The Effect of Massive Multiplayer Online Video Games on The Willingness to Communicate and Communicative Anxiety of College Students in Puerto Rico.”  American Journal of Play , vol. 11, no. 3, Jan. 2019, pp. 379–410.  EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1220304&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Luu, Sylvia, and Anupama Narayan. “Games at Work: Examining a Model of Team Effectiveness in an Interdependent Gaming Task.”  Computers in Human Behavior , vol. 77, Dec. 2017, pp. 110–120.  EBSCOhost , doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.025.

Barr, Matthew. “Video Games Can Develop Graduate Skills in Higher Education Students: A Randomized Trial.”  Online Submission , vol. 113, Jan. 2017, pp. 86–97.  EBSCOhost , search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED608315&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Roach, Alex, and Yeski Utami. “Using video game to enhance English communication skills.”  Proceedings of ISELT FBS Universitas Negeri Padang  5 (2017): 200-204.

Bodnar, Cheryl A., and Renee M. Clark. “Can game-based learning enhance engineering communication skills?.”  IEEE transactions on professional communication  60.1 (2017): 24-41.

Squire, Kurt. “Video games in education.”  Int. J. Intell. Games & Simulation  2.1 (2003): 49-62.

Baker, Brandon, “Gaming as a Teaching Tool.”  Penn Today , 6 May 2020, penntoday.upenn.edu/news/gaming-teaching-tool.

Jones, Carolyn. “A New Venue for Video Games: K-12 Classrooms  .”  EdSource , EdSource, 7 May 2018, edsource.org/2018/a-new-venue-for-video-games-k-12-classrooms/597100.

“The Benefits of Gaming in Education: the Build A World Case.”  Acer for Education , 27 Jan. 2017, acerforeducation.acer.com/education-trends/gamification/the-benefits-of-gaming-in-education-the-build-a-world-case/.

Elassar, Alaa. “Video Games Help Children Improve Literacy, Communication and Mental Well-Being, Survey Finds.”  CNN , Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/05/health/video-games-literacy-creativity-children-trnd/index.html.

Hulick, Kathryn. “Video Games Level up Life Skills.”  Science News for Students , 3 Dec. 2019, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/video-games-level-life-skills.

Fishman, Andrew. “Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect.”  Video Games Are Social Spaces: How Video Games Help People Connect | ResponseCenter , www.jcfs.org/response/blog/video-games-are-social-spaces-how-video-games-help-people-connect.

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Anonymous English 102 Writer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How do video games provide effective learning, how do video games provide effective learning.

There are five broadly defined prerequisites for effective learning: meaningful context, authenticity, motivation, freedom to make mistakes, and learner autonomy. Cambridge English teaching and learning materials harness the power of meaningful context and authenticity by presenting new language in a way that creates a genuine need to interact and communicate. And, as all teachers would attest, learners are most successful when they are motivated, free to learn from their mistakes, and take ownership of their own learning process.

So what do video games have to do with this? Well, in addition to the known benefits of games , video games support each of the building blocks of effective learning by providing:

• a strong and engaging narrative (context)
• purposeful interactions (authenticity)
• emotional engagement (motivation)
• freedom to fail (mistakes)
• opportunities for independent decision making (learner autonomy).

Context – A strong narrative

Context is the glue that helps us connect new information to what we already know about the world. This is why when we learn a language, we cover a series of topics like family, hobbies or holidays, instead of learning all of the words in the order that they appear in a dictionary starting with A and ending with Z. Without appropriate context, new information has nothing to attach itself to in our brain and becomes almost impossible to remember.

Video games set excellent context by providing a strong and engaging narrative, a story. Humans are wired to connect with stories. A strong narrative is compelling because it triggers an emotional response, which in turn makes it memorable. That’s why storytelling is such a powerful tool in marketing, politics, business and media. When teaching young learners, storytelling is vital: children rely on episodic memory much more than adults – remembering concrete facts and events they experienced that are linked together in learning.

Video games in general, and Adventures in English with Cambridge in particular, provide a strong and engaging narrative in which the player is intrinsically motivated to participate. How could they not be when they’re placed in the centre as the main protagonist? ‘Someone’s destroying my library, help me!’ pleads Lilac, ‘The stories need fixing, too!’

Authenticity – Purposeful interactions

We all know that being able to use the second language (L2) is more important than knowing facts about it. How often would you have to explain to a waiter in a foreign country which part of speech you are about to use when ordering a cup of coffee? Never – what matters is communication and meaning! ‘I’d like a cup of coffee, please,’ when sitting down at a table in a café. You wouldn’t expect the waiter to then reply, ‘Well done, that was the correct use of “would”!’ This is because in real life, we speak or write or read or listen when we have a need or a reason to do so – we call this ‘intrinsic motivation’.

Video games provide similar intrinsic motivation to communicate in a meaningful context. In our language-learning experience in Adventures in English with Cambridge , for example, the player will interact with Lilac, a fairy librarian in a giant library. ‘I’m thirsty! Can you bring me a hot drink?’ Lilac asks. To fulfil her request, the player will not need to complete a classroom-like vocabulary task. Instead, by exploring the beautiful library, the player will find a fully functional vending machine. Just like in real life, ‘milkshake’, ‘juice’ and ‘lemonade’ will be available for purchase, but the player will only hear the librarian say, ‘Ah, finally! It was delicious, thank you!’ when they bring her back a cup of coffee, rewarding the player with some more authentic language used in context.

Motivation – Emotional engagement

There’s a direct link between learner motivation and learning outcomes in and outside the classroom. Engaged learners are focused and curious, and generally do better than those who are disinterested or distracted. Video games are very good at leveraging the story, the challenges and the rewards within the game to trigger emotional response which is directly linked to motivation.

Inside our game in Minecraft, learners are motivated to solve the language puzzles because it ensures their progress within the game. They’re encouraged to persevere in their learning, both by the environment and the characters they meet. Players can choose which parts to pay most attention to, but they can’t avoid it. The language is built into the interactions within the game. To progress, players have no choice but to communicate … in English!

Mistakes help you learn – Freedom to fail

It might seem counter-intuitive, but when learning a language, mistakes can be beneficial when learners are given an opportunity to notice and reflect on them in a safe environment. Video games are excellent at providing plenty of safe opportunities to practise. In our Minecraft game, for example, players are free to wander off the wrong way or spell a word wrong. Instead of losing marks or progress, each mistake will result in more language input, to nudge learners towards the solution. This freedom to fail in video games is key to uninhibited language practice and is fundamental to our Adventures in English with Cambridge.

Autonomy – Independent decision making

Finally, in all kinds of teaching contexts, learner autonomy is another pillar of success. The more engaged the learner is in their own learning process, the more fruitful the results. In language-learning classrooms, learners are encouraged to develop study skills alongside listening, writing, speaking and reading – keeping consistent vocabulary notes, drawing mind maps, developing strategies for exam taking, listening and expeditious reading, to name just a few.

In video games, the process of becoming an independent decision maker is naturally fostered through the nature of the task in hand: the player has to discover ways out of tricky situations, frequently coming back to the starting point and starting all over again in order to progress within the game. In doing so, the players not only develop their sense of curiosity, but also perseverance, problem-solving skills and confidence, the usefulness of which stretches back to the classroom and beyond.

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5 Reasons Video Games Should Be More Widely Used In School

In an effort to curtail how much time young people spend playing video games, China has  banned students from playing them during the school week  and limits them to just one hour per day on Fridays, weekends and holidays.

The new rule took effect Sept. 1, 2021.

From my standpoint as a video game designer and scholar who  specializes in game-based learning , I don’t see a need to limit video game play among students during the school week. Instead, I see a need to expand it – and to do so during the regular school day.

Video games are one of the most popular mediums of our times. One estimate shows that by 2025,  the global gaming market will amount to US$268.8 billion annually  – significantly higher than the $178 billion it is in 2021.

The money spent on gaming does not just facilitate a virtual escape from the real world. Scholars such as James Paul Gee, a longtime literacy professor, have repeatedly shown that  video games can be used to facilitate learning  in the K-12 classroom. Education writer Greg Toppo* reached the same conclusion in his  critically acclaimed  book, “ The Game Believes in You: How Digital Play Can Make Our Kids Smarter .”

A long history

The use of video games in the classroom is nothing new. Many people who went to school in the 1970s through the 1990s may recall the iconic video game  The Oregon Trail , which made its debut in a classroom in 1971.

In the game, players lead a group of settlers across the Midwest following in the  footsteps of Lewis and Clark . The game came just before the video game industry  was established  with the 1972 release of the video game  Pong , an electronic version of table tennis.

Even though educational video games have been used in classrooms for 50 years – and despite the fact that research shows  educational games can be effective  – they are  not that common  in classrooms today.

Many educational games have been released since the days of The Oregon Trail. Some of the most popular are:  Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? , Math Blaster! ,  Zoombinis ,  iCivics ,  DragonBox Algebra  and  History Maker VR . Most games are for pre-K to elementary school students.

Here are five reasons why I think video games should be used in every classroom.

1. Video games can help students stay in STEM

In 2020, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology found that the nation needs to  create the STEM workforce of the future . One of the reasons students drop or switch out of science, technology, engineering and math programs is because of the difficulty of introductory courses such as  calculus .

The University of Oklahoma has developed a  calculus game  that can help students succeed in calculus. Research has shown student mastery of calculus  increases when using a purposeful designed learning game , such as  Variant: Limits  – another calculus game that was developed at Texas A&M University.

2. They provide experiential learning

Teaching students 21st-century skills, such as creative problem solving, is  important for the future workforce , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Games such as  DragonBox Algebra , where students solve math problems in a fantasy environment, can help students master skills such as critical thinking*.

In games such as  Civilization , players can be a civic leader and direct the prosperity of nations. In  ARTé: Mecenas , learners can become members of the  Medici family  and become patrons of the arts and successful bankers. Students learn through doing and can  gain skills and knowledge  through experiential learning that might not be gained in traditional classrooms.

3. Players learn from failure

Games are a natural way to allow students to fail in a safe way,  learn from failures  and try again until they succeed.

Some games, like Burnout Paradise* make failure fun. In the game, players can crash their cars – and the more spectacular the crash, the higher the points. This allows players to essentially learn from their mistakes, correct them and try again.

The late video game theorist and author  Jesper Juul  wrote in his book, “ The Art of Failure ,” that losing in video games is part of what makes games so engaging. Failing in a game makes the player feel inadequate, yet the player can immediately redeem themselves and improve their skills.

4. Students stay engaged in content

The average time a student spends learning in a classroom is only  60% of the allocated class time . Extending the school day to give students more time for learning has been shown to be  only marginally effective . A more effective way to maximize time for learning* is through engaged time on task. When students are interested and care about a topic and it is relevant, they are curious and engaged. This provides a much better learning experience.

In the classroom, teachers can engage students. But when it comes to homework, educators have to rely on other ways to motivate students. One way is through games. Educational games  can be designed to improve motivation and engagement , providing students with more engaged time on task.

5. Games make complex knowledge fun

Educational theories state that students cannot be given knowledge; they construct knowledge in their own minds. Learners build on previously learned concepts to construct higher-level and more complex knowledge to  make it their own .

The  periodic table of elements  is challenging to learn and remember for many students. However, learning a complex  three-dimensional matrix  with 27,624 values is easily accomplished by middle school students playing the popular video game  Pokémon . The essence of the game is figuring out how to combine the 17 different types of attack when battling other Pokémon. Each Pokémon has one or two types of attacks they can use. Players do not learn the different possible combinations by studying a large table with 27,624 entries, but by playing the game. Through playing the game, students gradually construct deeper knowledge of the game and  develop core skills , such as literacy, how to compete with grace and sportsmanship, and abstract thinking.

Pokémon was not developed as an educational game, but its design principles – and those of other popular video games – could easily be used to design video games for classrooms that enhance their educational experience.

* This link is no longer active and has been removed.

This article by Andre Thomas originally appeared on The Conversation .

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Video Games Thesis Statement

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Expository Essay: How Video Games Can be Educational

I intend to point out how video gaming is able to be educational whilst also being a lot of fun. Things such as problem solving, thinking on the spot and logical thinking are all learnable via video games. I also say that video gaming is still a more productive use of time than watching TV.

People who love something will justify it

One cannot ignore fact that if a group of people love doing something then they are going to justify it in one way or another, and frankly it does not matter if the justification is true. People will say that darting your eyes around on a video game screen helps to stop eye cancer if it means they get to keep playing. It happens around the world, such as people claiming that marijuana lowers crime rates or how alcohol consumption in teens lowers drug addiction.

Video games are a great form of escapism

People are loaded with animal instincts that they cannot get rid of. People who sleep facing their bedroom door are doing so because of animal instincts. People who have trouble looking at others with deformities are doing so because they have animal instincts. People are loaded with instincts and that is why escapism is good because it allows them to play out their instincts without hurting people.

Escapism is good and healthy. There is a Call of Duty video game that is based on people fighting with Muslim extremists. It acted as a very good form of escapism for people who were still angry about the 9/11 terrorist incident.

Historical games are able to give facts within a game

The Call of Duty franchise came about because of the Medal of Honor games, and they are games that gave out legitimate historical information. As a soldier you were lead through mission that really happened during the Second World War. People loved the games even though they were learning things at the same time.

Puzzle games are even popular on mobile devices

Solving puzzle games is a very popular thing to do and it is all part of video gaming. It even happens on mobile devices and is helping people learn how think on their feet and solve puzzles.

Problem solving and thinking on the spot are valuable skills

This sort of problem solving thinking is very useful in the real world and it is on video games all over the world. Most video games are based around problem solving, which means it is helping generations of people improve their problem solving skills.

It is obvious that video gaming is very valuable as a learning tool. It is able to give facts in a very fun way, and it is able to create valuable skills that a person may take into the real world. Gaming should not be the only learning tool available to people, but it is certainly quite useful on its own. It may even help people build up a more competitive personality which will also help them in the real world.

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Video games are finding their way into the classroom, despite a lack of research showing whether they offer any advantages over existing teaching methods and media. Here, sixth-graders in Juneau, Alaska, build mazes as part of a Minecraft game during a technology class in 2015.

What electronic games can teach us

Digital play can enhance certain types of learning, but how to harness that potential for the classroom remains a prize question

By Kendall Powell 10.03.2019

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When my kids, ages 11 and 8, bang through the back door after school, often the first thing out of their mouths is: “Mom! Can we play Prodigy ?”

After a quick mental calculation of how much screen time they’ve already had for the week and how much peace and quiet I need to finish my work, I acquiesce. After all, Prodigy is a role-playing video game that encourages kids to practice math facts. It’s educational.

Though video games are increasingly making their way into classrooms, scientists who study them say the data are lacking on whether they can actually improve learning — and most agree that teachers still outperform games in all but a few circumstances.

But there is growing evidence that some types of video games may improve brain performance on a narrow set of tasks. This is potentially good news for students, as well as for the millions of people who love to play, or at least can’t seem to stop playing (see infographic).

“There is a lot of evidence that people — and not just young people — spend a lot of time playing games on their screens,” says Richard Mayer, an education psychology researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “If we could turn that into something more productive, that would be a worthwhile thing to do.”

In an article in the 2019 Annual Review of Psychology , Mayer set out to evaluate rigorous experiments that tested what people can learn from games . Though he’s not entirely convinced of games’ educational potential, some studies did suggest that games can be effective in teaching a second language, math and science. The hope, he says, is to figure out how to harness any brain-boosting potential for better classroom results.

Your brain on games

Some of the first evidence that gaming may train the brain came from first-person shooter games. That these oft-maligned games might actually have benefits was first stumbled upon by an undergraduate studying psychology at the University of Rochester in New York. C. Shawn Green gave his friends a test of visual attention, and their scores were off the charts. He and his research supervisor, Daphné Bavelier, thought there must have been a bug in his coding of the test. But when Bavelier took the test, she scored in the normal range.

The difference was that Green’s friends had all been devoting more than 10 hours per week to Team Fortress Classic , a first-person shooter version of capture the flag. Green and Bavelier then rigorously retested the idea with people who were new to gaming. They had two groups train on different types of games: One group practiced a first-person shooter action game for one hour per day for 10 days, and the other spent the same amount of time on Tetris , a spatial puzzle game.

The new action gamers were significantly better at focusing on targets of interest in a cluttered, visually noisy field compared with the Tetris players. The team also found that the action gamers, on average, could consistently track five moving objects in a visual field, compared with the three that non-gamers could track.

Video games’ huge popularity offers an opportunity to harness them for education. But how to best do that, and in what contexts, is not yet clear, researchers say.

Bavelier, now a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, says that action gamers are better able to switch their visual attention between distributed attention (scanning a large area for a particular object) and focused attention (extracting specific facts from a video). “This is called attentional control, the ability to flexibly switch attention as time demands,” she says.

Though it’s not yet clear if improving this kind of attention can help kids in the classroom, Bavelier says, she does see the potential for games to help motivate students — adding a bit of “chocolate” to the learning mix.

Green, now a cognitive psychologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, admits that the benefits of playing hours upon hours of Call of Duty may be limited in real life. “There are some people who have jobs with a need for enhanced visual attention,” he says, “such as surgeons, law enforcement or the military.” But, he notes, all games come with an opportunity cost. “If video game time displaces homework time, that can affect reading and math skills negatively.”

In other studies, researchers found that gamers who trained on Tetris were better at mentally rotating two-dimensional shapes than those who played a control game. Students who played two hours of All You Can E.T. , an educational game designed to enhance the executive function of switching between tasks, improved their focus-shifting skills compared with students who played a word search game. Not surprisingly, the cognitive skills that games can improve are the ones that players end up practicing over and over during the course of play.

In the nonviolent shooter-style game All You Can E.T. , players must switch tasks on the fly, feeding aliens either cupcakes or drinks. The game was designed to hone players’ ability to shift attention, an executive function skill.

CREDIT: COURTESY OF JAN L. PLASS

But importantly, these skill improvements are very specific to the task at hand: First-person shooter games don’t improve mental rotation of objects, and Tetris doesn’t improve visual attention. And ironically, in assessing studies for his review, Mayer found no convincing evidence that so-called brain-training games for healthy adults such as the Lumosity suite of games succeed at improving memory, attention or spatial cognition.

The next step is to figure out how these findings may translate to the classroom, where video games are already making in-roads. Many students could benefit from an improvement in the ability to flexibly shift their attention when needed. And though first-person shooter games are not really appropriate for grade-school students, Bavelier says researchers are getting better at identifying the core features of video games that drive improved brain agility.

“It could be a game based on a doctor who has to choose the right medicine to save the world. It doesn’t have to be linked to death, violence and zombies,” she says.

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“Making a video game that is compelling and effective is difficult,” Green says. Not to mention that games designed purely for entertainment can cost as much as making a blockbuster movie. What might be more useful for classrooms, he says, is to design kid-appropriate games aimed at improving specific brain skills that will help students succeed throughout the school day.

Gaming for gains

At New York University’s Games for Learning Institute, codirector Jan Plass’ team is designing shooter-type, educational video games that boost cognitive skills in executive function without the violence.

In All You Can E.T. , players shoot food or drink into aliens’ mouths based on a set of rules that keeps changing, forcing their brains to shift between tasks. And Gwakkamolé is a “Whac-A-Mole”-style game designed to help players improve their inhibitory control by whacking only avocados that aren’t wearing helmets.

Players whacking avocados in the game Gwakkamolé improve their score by refraining from hitting helmet-wearing avocados, a chance to practice their inhibitory control. The game was developed with education in mind by researcher Jan Plass and his team.

“Both of these games make students practice really important executive function skills that some kids didn’t fully develop in early childhood,” Plass says. “Switching tasks and inhibitory control are really important for learning.”

Inhibitory control keeps kids in their seats, helps them focus on a lesson and prevents outbursts that distract the entire class. Practicing this task while playing a fun computer game has an appeal that other approaches do not. “It’s clear that games re-engage kids” who have turned off or tuned out, he says.

But Bavelier questions whether cognitive skills gained from gaming will transfer to other, real-world or classroom situations. “Sure people who play Gwakkamolé get better at inhibition, in that game ,” she says. “But it’s a much taller order to show that that skill transfers to better inhibition in general.”

The best classroom video games have certain characteristics, say Mayer and Plass. They focus on one specific cognitive skill and compel players to practice that skill with embedded feedback and responsiveness. The game must be adaptive, meaning the level of challenge increases as the player improves. This is key for classrooms where teachers need one game that will work well for both struggling and advanced students.

Game designers want to hook students on educational games in the same way 270 million of us are driven to play Candy Crush . “Games’ most salient feature is their motivational power,” Mayer says. “We want to harness that.”

To do that, Mayer says, brain scientists, education researchers and game designers must engage more deeply with each other to create compelling games that can sharpen cognitive skills while they entertain. Bavelier points to the power of kids’ brains to do things like memorize hundreds of Pokémon characters and their special powers. Imagine if they applied that obsession to learning all the stars in the night sky, Bavelier says.

Although this research is still evolving, I’m reassured about my own kids’ ever-increasing requests for screen time — especially when they beg to play games designed to help them master math.

“Our dream is exactly this,” Plass says. “That kids will be dying to get to their homework.”

Editor’s note: This article was modified on February 12, 2024, to correct a statistic about players of Candy Crush . The figure of 270 million players worldwide refers to the total player base at the time the story was written, and not to people who played the game daily as the article originally stated.

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How teachers can use video games to motivate students

Ph.D. Chargé d'enseignement, Université Laval

Disclosure statement

Jean-François Sénéchal does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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If you ask your teens to do their homework they’ll find a thousand other things to do. But put them in front of a video game, and they’ll focus on it for hours. How exactly do game designers create this kind of engagement? And what would happen if we applied these principles to teaching?

I am a teacher, a father of teenagers and an occasional video game player myself. I know that university professors decry, with reason, the violence some of these games promote. Others point to the issue of video game addiction .

Yet these criticisms ignore the strengths and potential of the video game world, including its ability to engage young people in complex and challenging tasks.

Watching my teens play video games for hours on end tells me that video game designers understand something that my fellow teachers and I had not!

In my teaching duties, this question has taken on a more concrete form: I wonder if it is possible to make distance learning courses more dynamic by incorporating some elements of video game culture into them.

The era of gamification

Others have asked the same question. Gamification is an established research area in university pedagogy. In general, it refers to a set of teaching approaches and tools that use both the mechanisms of video games and their ability to stimulate student engagement.

These pedagogical approaches use “ game-based mechanics, esthetics and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning and solve problems .”

We might assume that university students are more naturally engaged and passionate about the subject matter to begin with. After all, they each chose their area of study. But my answer to that is: it depends on the course.

When I first started teaching, I taught a course in ethics and professionalism. It was a mandatory course in the engineering program, and far from being a popular one.

To begin with, lecturers assigned to this task, all trained in philosophy, struggled to teach a course in applied ethics targeted to the concrete difficulties of science and engineering professionals (engineers, land surveyors, chemists, agronomists).

The students were resistant to content that seemed too theoretical, even cut off from the reality of their future profession. So what does it take to create an exciting course that engages these students?

I didn’t know much about my students, other than the fact that they belonged to an age group (19-23) that regularly plays video games . What if the key to engaging them was hidden in the gaming consoles they spent their evenings with?

Games as a tool for engagement

Engagement is a concept that has been present in academic literature for over 70 years. It has become a policy anchor for many educational institutions. Student engagement is associated with several benefits: increased student satisfaction, perseverance and academic performance.

Some researchers use engagement to evaluate instructor performance, or even institutional excellence. Over the years, I have gradually adopted new tools to make the course more interesting, engaging and stimulating, for both students and their teacher.

Trophies, badges and rewards

One of these tools has shown itself to be particularly exciting and helped increase my students’ engagement: a system of trophies, badges and rewards inspired by the world of video games.

Designed with the help of the “Centre de services en technologies de l'information et en pédagogie (CSTIP)” at Laval University, the system is presented in the form of an application. The mechanics and style are similar to the “achievements” and “trophies” systems typically found on the two most popular video game consoles (Xbox and PlayStation).

This reward system encourages behaviours such as active participation, attendance, humour, creativity, helpfulness, team spirit, leadership and curiosity. While our educational institutions promote these behaviours in their rhetoric and policies, in practice, these behaviours are difficult to recognize through traditional assessments and grading systems.

Completing ‘levels’

Trophies and achievements are used in video games to reward the player’s efforts, and to track and measure progress. For example, when the player completes a level, discovers a new power or eliminates an enemy, they receive a trophy. These systems also encourage players to explore elements of the game they might otherwise ignore or overlook.

For example, exploring all the nuclear shelters in Fallout, visiting all the brothels in Grand Theft Auto, or buying paintings in Florence and Venice in the Assasin’s Creed universe all require a lot of time, patience and effort. Each of these exploits is rewarded with a trophy or an achievement, depending on the console being used.

The sum of these rewards also allows the players to compare themselves to other players. All of these tasks and mechanics can be transposed into a teaching context: exploring new content, succeeding in a difficult task, actively participating, completing a series of specific tasks and so on.

In order to systematize and categorize the trophies and rewards associated with my students’ engagement, I drew on the following five categories identified in a study on the subject :

Express (create, build, embellish)

Explore (try, experiment, research)

Compete (excel, succeed, distinguish)

Collaborate (share, help, cooperate)

Identify (recognize oneself, know oneself, associate with a group)

When a student demonstrates any of the first four categories of commitment through his or her actions or attitude, they earn a trophy. Each trophy is accompanied by a short note from the teacher congratulating the student on his or her “achievement” with a promise they’ll get bonus marks at the end of the course.

The last category (identify) is presented as a table of leaders and winners in each category. The chart shows students their most successful category of engagement and their profile. There are four profiles in the game: expression profile; explorer profile; competition profile and collaboration profile.

Here are a few examples of trophies. A student who attends 90 per cent of their classes receives the “My body was there” trophy. Students who participate more than 20 times in the discussion board receive the “Forum Addict” trophy.

Some trophies target peer support and team spirit, such as the “Medical Assistance—Medic” trophy. Trophies are obviously provided for academic performance as well, including the “Captain America” trophy (for an A+ grade). My course offers several dozen trophies, badges and rewards. Top students win about 30 of them. And they do this all for a maximum of five bonus marks!

The effort these students are willing to put in for a few trophies is impressive. While the average number of visits to a course site is about 100 per semester, some students make over 1,000 visits to this course site. On discussion boards many students admit to being hooked on winning trophies. Others write to me asking for a list of all the trophies, badges and rewards. Not all of the students strive to win trophies, but the students on the whole are having a little more fun. And so is their teacher!

This article was originally published in French

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107 Video Game Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Video games have become a popular form of entertainment for people of all ages. From action-packed shooters to immersive role-playing games, there is a video game out there for everyone. With such a wide variety of games to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide on a topic for an essay about video games. To help you get started, here are 107 video game essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• The impact of violent video games on children's behavior
• The evolution of video game graphics over the years
• The rise of esports and its influence on the gaming industry
• The benefits of playing video games for cognitive development
• The representation of gender and race in video games
• The history of virtual reality gaming
• The psychology of loot boxes in video games
• The role of music in enhancing the gaming experience
• The ethics of video game journalism
• The impact of video game addiction on mental health
• The cultural significance of video game franchises like Mario and Pokemon
• The future of cloud gaming and streaming services
• The role of storytelling in video games
• The influence of video games on popular culture
• The relationship between video games and education
• The impact of video game censorship on creative expression
• The portrayal of mental health issues in video games
• The role of social media in video game marketing
• The history of video game consoles
• The impact of online multiplayer games on social interaction
• The evolution of game mechanics in the survival horror genre
• The representation of LGBTQ+ characters in video games
• The influence of Japanese culture on video game aesthetics
• The role of nostalgia in the popularity of retro gaming
• The impact of microtransactions on player experience
• The relationship between video games and violence in society
• The role of artificial intelligence in game development
• The impact of video game streaming platforms like Twitch
• The representation of disability in video games
• The influence of game design on player engagement
• The evolution of mobile gaming
• The role of virtual economies in online multiplayer games
• The impact of video game sound design on immersion
• The portrayal of mental illness in video games
• The influence of Eastern philosophy on game narratives
• The role of user-generated content in game communities
• The impact of fan culture on video game development
• The representation of indigenous cultures in video games
• The influence of literature on game storytelling
• The role of game difficulty in player satisfaction
• The impact of video game piracy on the industry
• The portrayal of war in military shooter games
• The relationship between video games and sports
• The influence of board games on video game design
• The role of player choice in game narratives
• The impact of virtual reality on therapy and rehabilitation
• The representation of historical events in video games
• The influence of film on game aesthetics
• The role of gender stereotypes in video game marketing
• The impact of game mods on player creativity
• The portrayal of mental health professionals in video games
• The influence of tabletop role-playing games on video game mechanics
• The role of game mechanics in promoting teamwork and cooperation
• The impact of game development crunch on industry workers
• The representation of animals in video games
• The influence of science fiction on game narratives
• The role of player agency in game storytelling
• The impact of game difficulty on player motivation
• The portrayal of addiction in video games
• The influence of mythology on game aesthetics
• The role of puzzles in game design
• The impact of game reviews on player purchasing decisions
• The representation of mental illness in horror games
• The influence of architecture on game environments
• The role of game soundtracks in enhancing the player experience
• The impact of game tutorials on player learning
• The portrayal of robots and AI in video games
• The influence of fashion on character design in games
• The role of humor in game narratives
• The impact of game localization on cultural representation
• The representation of environmental issues in video games
• The influence of psychology on game design
• The role of game narratives in exploring complex themes
• The impact of game communities on player engagement
• The portrayal of mental health struggles in indie games
• The influence of mythology on game storytelling
• The role of player feedback in game development
• The impact of game accessibility on player inclusivity
• The representation of gender identity in video games
• The influence of surrealism on game aesthetics
• The role of morality systems in game narratives
• The impact of game tutorials on player retention
• The portrayal of mental health professionals in horror games
• The influence of psychology on game narratives
• The role of player choice in shaping game outcomes
• The impact of game aesthetics on player immersion
• The representation of LGBTQ+ relationships in video games
• The role of environmental storytelling in game design
• The impact of game streaming on player engagement
• The portrayal of mental illness in puzzle games
• The role of player feedback in shaping game development
• The impact of game aesthetics on player perception
• The representation of LGBTQ+ characters in horror games
• The influence of film noir on game narratives
• The role of environmental storytelling in shaping game worlds
• The impact of game tutorials on player skill progression
• The portrayal of mental illness in narrative-driven games
• The influence of science fiction on game aesthetics
• The role of player choice in determining game endings
• The impact of game aesthetics on player emotional response
• The representation of LGBTQ+ relationships in indie games
• The influence of literature on game design
• The role of environmental storytelling in immersive game worlds
• The impact of game streaming on player community building
• The portrayal of mental health struggles in interactive fiction games

Whether you are writing a research paper, a critical analysis, or a personal reflection on video games, these topics provide a diverse range of ideas to explore. From examining the psychological effects of gaming to analyzing the cultural significance of game narratives, there is no shortage of fascinating topics to delve into. So, pick a topic that interests you and start exploring the world of video games through the lens of your essay. Happy writing!

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June 19, 2019 8:02 am

Growth, Grit, and Gaming: Video Games in Education

How game-based learning engages students, improves academic outcomes, and helps to build grit and a growth mindset along the way.

Recent studies show over 90% of American children play video games . Ask a parent their opinion of children and “gaming” and you’re likely to get a response about the amount of time kids are wasting. Additionally, many educators express concern about the negative impact of gaming, but some researchers are working to change these perceptions, especially around the idea of gaming and education.

“Children tend to be more engaged in learning when we incorporate gaming into lessons,” expressed Patrick Efird, a curriculum game designer at educational technology provider Imagine Learning.

And Efird would know. A self-declared video game aficionado, Efird taught middle school for five years. “I incorporated video games into the classroom whenever possible,” he explained. “My students loved the gaming components of their learning and I believe it helped them dig deeper into the material, retain what was being taught, and develop a belief that they could learn if they worked hard at something.”

Growth Mindset and Gaming

Efird isn’t alone in his beliefs. Scholar Carol Dweck found that video games can play an important role in supporting growth mindset, or the belief that an ability to learn is not fixed but can grow with effort.

In Dweck’s research, students who played a video game with rewards for productive struggle stuck with the game longer, were more engaged, and used more strategies than students who received traditional “level completion” rewards.

Video game experts believe video games can support growth mindset in a variety of ways.

• Leveling up. Students are feel a sense of accomplishment when they reach goals, and are motivated to endlessly engage in video games as they advance, learn, and achieve in the program.
• Learning from mistakes. Games are a safe place for students to make mistakes, learn, and ultimately succeed over time.
• Visualize growth and progress. Games utilize features such as maps, treasure hunts, and statistics to show a player where they have the potential to progress. Visualizing where a player can go motivates them to continue trying.
• Experiencing growth. Students experience growth as they have opportunities to evolve, take on new abilities, or earn add-ons when they stick with their task in the game.
• External rewards. Students who persist at tasks receive rewards for trying, motivating them to keep striving.
• Real-life growth. Apps with game-like elements, such as Fitbit or Happify, transfer growth to real life by tracking progress towards physical, emotional, and cognitive goals that benefit users.

Grit and Gaming

Video games can also help students develop “grit,” or the passion and perseverance to work towards long-term goals as described by Angela Duckworth, PhD . Some argue that video games develop grit as players “follow the rules, acquire and practice skills, and apply those skills to achieve specific goals.”

Duckworth posits that “students may need help from supportive others to become comfortable with facing, accepting, and learning from failure.” Video games can play the role of the “supportive other” by incorporating positive messaging.

Efird suggests that positioning messages in educational video games that “praise effort despite outcomes, show evidence of growth, and acknowledge players for tasks accomplished or improvements made” can support students to persist in pursuing tasks. Additionally, live-supports—such as online, certified teachers available to students using digital instructional programs—can provide needed support while fostering perseverance and determination.

“Game-based learning engages students, and research indicates strong correlations between student engagement and student achievement across all levels of instruction and subject areas.” Sherri Walker Imagine Learning

Engaged Students Achieve

Ultimately, educators want to know students are learning and achieving.

Game-based learning engages students, and research indicates strong correlations between student engagement and student achievement across all levels of instruction and subject areas.

Studies have also shown that when students are engaged in their learning, they are more focused, more motivated, and have more meaningful learning experiences. Educators agree, ranking “student engagement and motivation” as the highest driver of achievement, good attendance, good grades, positive behavior, high school graduation, and readiness for postsecondary education.

In the end, utilizing video games in education can be a powerful tool for teachers to engage students and help them learn and achieve. “I believe we can use video games in classrooms to help students learn that they can accomplish whatever they put their energy into,” shares Efird. “I know as a kid, I would’ve been even more engaged in what I was learning in the classroom if games were utilized. I’m pretty sure there are other students out there today who are just like me.”

Engage More Students

Give gaming in education a try with Imagine Math Facts, where students gain automaticity with basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Essays About Video Games: Top 12 Examples and Prompts

Video games have revolutionized the way we have fun today. If you are writing essays about video games, check out our guide to inspire your writing.  

Few can contest the fact that video games have taken over the world. From the basic, almost “primitive” games of the 1970s like Pong to the mind-bending virtual reality games of the 2020s, they have been a source of entertainment for all. Moreover, they have proven quite profitable; countries like Japan and the United States have made tens of billions of dollars solely from the video game market.

Despite their popularity, much has been debated over the potentially harmful side effects that video games may have, particularly on children. One side argues that playing certain video games can lead to people exhibiting violence in the future, while others believe that video games teach players essential life skills. Regardless, they will continue to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. 

For engaging essays about video games, read the essay examples featured below for inspiration.

1. What electronic games can teach us by Kendall Powell

2. designers are imagining video games without guns by keith stuart, 3. playing video games all summer won’t make you feel worse by nicole wetsman, 4.  violent video games bad by andrea newman.

• 5. ​​The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

Writing Prompts For Essays About Video Games

1. video games: good or bad, 2. the benefits of video games, 3. what is your favorite video game, 4. do video games cause people to become violent, 5. video games in your life, 6. video games vs. traditional games, 7. is the video game rating system enough.

“In other studies, researchers found that gamers who trained on Tetris were better at mentally rotating two-dimensional shapes than those who played a control game. Students who played two hours of All You Can E.T., an educational game designed to enhance the executive function of switching between tasks, improved their focus-shifting skills compared with students who played a word search game.”

Powell explains a few possibilities of applying video games to education. As it turns out, certain video games can improve players’ skills, depending on the mechanics. Researchers are inspired by this and hope to take advantage of the competitive, motivational nature of gaming to encourage children to learn. New games are designed to help kids improve their focus, coordination, and resilience, and game designers hope they will succeed. 

“Imagine a game where you’re a war reporter seeking to capture the most iconic, representative images in a battle environment: You’d still get the sense of peril that audiences expect from action adventures, but your relationship with the environment would be more profound. It would be Call of Duty from the perspective of a creative participant rather than a violent interloper.”

The graphic nature of some video games is said to make kids violent, so it is only natural that some creators try to change this. Stuart writes that it is possible to maintain the fun that shooter-type games induce without using guns. He gives examples of games where you do not kill your enemy, simply stunning or capturing them instead. He also suggests photography as an alternative to killing in a “shooting” game. Finally, he suggests basing video games around helping others, making friends, and doing more peaceful, creative tasks.

“Any role video games play in skewing well-being that did pop up in the study was too small to have a real-world impact on how people feel, the authors said. People would have to play games for 10 more hours per day than their baseline to notice changes in their well-being, the study found.”

Wetsman counters the widespread belief that video games “destroy your brain.” Research done with a sample of 39,000 players over six weeks has shown that whether one plays video games for long or short periods, their mental health is not impacted much. There are some exceptions; however, there are not enough to conclude that video games are, in fact, harmful.

“Some people believe that the connection between violent games, and real violence is also fairly intuitive. In playing the games kids are likely to become desensitized to gory images;which could make them less disturbing, and perhaps easier to deal with in real life. While video games aren’t about violence their capacity to teach can be a good thing.”

In her essay, Newman writes about the supposed promotion of violence in some video games. However, she believes this violence does not cause people to be more aggressive later. Instead, she believes these games expose children to certain atrocities so they will not be traumatized if they see them in real life. In addition, these games supposedly promote connections and friendships. Finally, Newman believes that these “harmful” can make you a better person.

5. ​​ The health effects of too much gaming by Peter Grinspoon

“Gamers need to be educated on how to protect their thumbs, wrists, and elbows, their waistlines, their emotional state, their sleep, and their eyes. Simple education around taking breaks, stretching, eating healthy snacks, and resting and icing your thumb, wrist, or elbow when it starts hurting can address injuries early, before they become significant. For the eyes, gamers can try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.”

Grinspoon discusses both the benefits and the health risks of gaming. Video games allow people to interact with each other remotely and bond over specific missions or tasks, and some research shows that they have cognitive benefits. However, some gamers may develop vision problems and hand and wrist injuries. Gaming and “staring in front of a screen the whole day” is also associated with obesity. Overall, Grinspoon believes that gaming is best done in moderation.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about hobbies .

Many parents believe that their children’s “bad behavior” is because of video games. Based on your experience and others, decide: are video games good or bad for you? Make sure to read viewpoints from both sides and write an essay based on your position. Would you encourage others to play video games? Discuss these pros and cons for an interesting argumentative essay.

Like anything else, video games have both positive and negative aspects. Explain the good that video games can do for you: the skills they can equip you with, the lessons they can teach, and anything else. Also, include whether you believe their benefits outweigh the disadvantages they may pose. 

For your essay, write about your favorite video game and why you chose it. What is its meaning to you, and how has it affected your life? Describe the gameplay mechanics, characters, storyline, and general impact on the gaming community or society. You can write about any game you want, even if you have not played it; just ensure the content is sufficient.

Many claim that playing violent video games can make you violent in the future. Research this phenomenon and conclude whether it is true or not. Is the evidence sufficient? There are many resources on this topic; support your argument by citing credible sources, such as news articles, statistics, and scientific research.

Video games have been a part of almost all our lives. Recall a treasured experience with video games and explain why it is significant. How old were you? Why do you remember it fondly? How did this experience make you feel? Answer these questions in your own words for an exciting essay.

There are stark differences between video and traditional games, such as board games and card games. For an engaging essay, compare and contrast them and write about which is more entertaining, in your opinion. Be creative; this should be based on your own opinions and ideas.

The video game content rating system is used to classify video games based on their appropriateness for specific ages. However, parents complain that they are not strict enough and allow the display of violent content to children. Explore the criteria behind the rating system, decide whether it needs to be changed or not, and give examples to support your argument.

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips !

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

Video Games Can Be Educational

Video games are not just for entertainment anymore. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend of using video games for educational purposes. There are now many different types of educational video games available, covering a wide range of subjects.

One of the most popular genres of educational video games is the puzzle game. These type of games often require players to solve problems in order to progress. This can help players to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Another popular genre of educational video game is the simulation game. These type of games simulate real-world situations, such as running a business or flying an airplane. This can help players to learn about different concepts and develop new skills.

There are also many other genres of educational video games available, such as strategy games, word games, and even action games. No matter what type of game you are interested in, there is likely an educational version of it out there.

Video games are recognized as a great source of fun and, according to certain people, as a wonderful instructional tool because of their interactivity. What many people don’t know is that they may be beneficial to those who play them for enjoyment as well as learning. Nowadays, with technological progress happening at such a rapid pace, it has permeated all strata of society—including the poorest and slammest — regardless of social status, economic position, educational level, or age.

The ubiquity of video games has turned them into one of the most important cultural artifacts of our time. It is not uncommon to see people playing video games on their smartphones while they are waiting in line at the bank, or even during class (if the teacher allows it, of course). The fact that video games are so present in our lives makes them an excellent target for those who want to learn something new, as they can be used as a tool for education.

Interactive games have been shown to be helpful in teaching different educational content, from languages to math and science. A lot of times, these games are more effective than traditional methods because they manage to keep the player´s attention focused on the task at hand. In addition, they also promote active learning, as the player has to constantly make decisions in order to progress in the game.

There are many different video games that can be used for educational purposes, and the list is constantly growing. Some of the most popular ones include:

-“Civilization IV”: This game offers an excellent introduction to the world of history and international relations. It teaches about different cultures and how they interact with each other.

-“The Sims”: This game is a great way to learn about basic economics. Players have to manage their own virtual households, and must make sure that their sims have enough money to pay for their needs.

-“Spore”: This game is perfect for those who want to learn about biology. It allows players to create their own creature and then follow its evolution through different stages.

The attention that children’s education, psychological, physical, and moral growth have received in recent years has resulted in a growing interest in video and computer games. Video and computer games, on the other hand, are one of the most significant factors affecting youngsters’ development. Games’ effect on youngsters, however, is still uncertain; there is no single voice about it.

The aim of this article is to explore the potential positive effects of video games on children. Video games can have a number of positive effects on children. First, they can improve a child’s coordination and problem-solving skills. Games that require hand-eye coordination and quick thinking can help children develop these important skills. Additionally, video games can also help children develop their social skills. Multiplayer games, in particular, give children the opportunity to interact with other players from all over the world.

Through these interactions, children can learn how to cooperate and communicate with others effectively. Finally, video games can also help children learn about different cultures and customs. Many games are set in different countries or cultures, and through playing them, children can learn about these different cultures and customs.

Even though there are many potential positive effects of video games on children, it is important to consider the negative effects as well. First, some video games can be extremely violent. Children who play these types of games may become more aggressive and violent themselves. Additionally, video games can also be addictive.

Some children may become so engrossed in playing video games that they neglect their schoolwork, friendships, and other important aspects of their lives. Therefore, it is important to monitor the type of games your child is playing and make sure they are not spending too much time playing them.

Parents pay more attention to the potential drawbacks of video games than to the opportunities, but these games are a typical part of contemporary kid’s life. If you’re aware of what to look for, video games may be a helpful instrument in teaching children skills such as how to interact positively with others and make friends. They can assist parents in selecting appropriate leisure-time activities, help educators find methods to enhance and support the curriculum, and assist policy makers in formulating child-protection regulations.

Most parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend playing video games. However, if you select the right game, it can have educational benefits for your child. Games such as “SimCity” and “Civilization” can teach kids about city planning, while games like “The Oregon Trail” can teach them about American history. Other games can teach children basic academic skills like math and reading.

There is a growing body of research that suggests that video games can have positive effects on players. For example, one study found that people who played action games had better fine motor skills and more efficient visual processing than those who did not play video games. Another study found that people who played puzzle games had better memory and abstraction skills than those who did not play video games.

Despite the potential benefits of playing video games, there are also some risks. For example, violent video games have been linked to aggressive behavior. However, it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. There are many factors that can contribute to aggressive behavior, and it is impossible to say that video games are the sole cause.

Overall, video games can be educational and beneficial for children if they are used in moderation and with supervision. Parents should monitor their children’s game-playing habits and make sure they are choosing appropriate games. Educators should seek ways to incorporate video games into the curriculum, and policy-makers should consider the potential benefits of video games when crafting child-protection policies.

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