Videogames are enjoyed by millions all around the world. Videogames come in many genres to suit different needs and have even been, in some cases, developed specifically for the classroom. Oregon Trail, for example, was a popular educational videogame in the late 1980's-early 1990's. Videogames in education have modified how information is received by students. There is a reward system that takes place while playing a videogame, which is a driving force for so many to become engaged while playing videogames. "Research shows that our brains release in abundance neurochemicals related to reward processing—for example, dopamine—when individuals play video games. " Eichenbaum, A., Bavelier, D., & Green, S. C. (2014). Video games: Play that can do serious good. American Journal of Play, 7(1), 5072. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1043955.pdf Why should videogames be excluded from the classroom when they engage students? Videogames are a useful resource for teachers. They stimulate multiple senses and can even be beneficial for students with disabilities. There are still plenty of negative beliefs about videogames, and much of this negativity prohibits further discoveries to be made about videogames in education. Videogames can also cover important topics and hold meaning, similar to reading literature. Videogames can stimulate multiple senses and they have a reward system which makes our student want to learn because it is enjoyable. Allowing students to experiment in creating videogames, they can contribute to the wealth of possibilities videogames can bring. "Over the past half-century, video games have evolved into effective learning tools. Not only do they promote an astounding amount of time on task, the games also use a number of techniques known to promote efficient and transferable learning. Although some researchers express concern about the potential negative outcomes of gaming, others see quite clearly that video game training creates a great number of positive outcomes. A growing body of research demonstrates that some types of games, in particular action video games, promote improvements in a wide variety of perceptual, attentional, and cognitive abilities." Eichenbaum, A., Bavelier, D., & Green, S. C. (2014). Video games: Play that can do serious good. American Journal of Play, 7(1), 5072. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1043955.pdf Can videogames make you smarter?This short youtube video explains briefly how videogames can be helpful. But, just like anything else in life, we should only play videogames in moderation.
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