Videogames can help facilitate learning and can be applied to the classroom.

Mahmoud Alhousseiny
University of North Carolina at Charlotte










Introduction:
Video gaming is a sport that has just as much of a skill ceiling and amount of learning involved
as Football. This is due to the amount of freedom and variety present in video games. Video
Games are among the most popular sources of entertainment as there are millions of video games
to choose from and each different from the other. Video games are popular due to the level of
engagement that is present when compared to other sources of entertainment such as movies.
There is also a wide variety of ways in order to play video games and the prices vary depending
on the way the game is played. Video games are not only limited to entertainment value but also
have their own separate uses depending on the game in question. In this paper the aim is to
explore the ways that video games can help facilitate a learning environment as well as enhance
a more traditional classroom setting by incorporating video games into certain activities. What is
taught from video games has changed drastically over the course of this decade. The first ever
video game was pong which is essentially table hockey except slowed down to significant
degree. What was taught from pong is the mastery over the controller in order to score the most
points. This is the most basic type of learning that can occur in a video game and this is
essentially just teaching to master the gameplay aspect of the game without having any
significant real world meaning. As games evolved into recognizable objects that we perceive in
the modern world, games became to include stories and different mechanics that were not
present in previous titles. A classic example is the cult class and one of the most revered video
game genres to this day; Half-Life. Before Half-Life was released there were other first person
shooters of this type except they featured very little story and the overall objective or literacy
mastery was to master the guns within the game in order to beat levels. This formula changed
heavily in Half-Life as the player played a character who was supported by other main characters
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Commented [MA2]: Intro was good in terms of adding
depth to video games in general and giving good intro on
what video games can do.

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and assignment one.

within the game. There is an ever arching story within the game that has real world implications.
The game touches on topics of the time period and also presents the player with free reign on
how to beat every level. The literacy within this game involved the comprehension of the world
the player took part in as well as the characters within the game. After Half-Life, many games
began to emulate and enhance what was introduced by the game. Different themes started to
emerge and most of the video games began to have some sort of learning involved. In
comparison I will use Dark Souls as a way to show what kind of themes and literacy is involved
within video games and how specific examples of learning can translate to the traditional school
environment.

Literature Review
Ive spent a great deal of my life playing video games whether out of boredom or for
entertainment. Video gaming is a life style choice I chose to do because for me it is the most
enjoyable hobby I can have. In turn because of my love for video games, I have decided to
analyze the topic of video games and how they affect learning. I will also look at one of my
favorite games of all time, Dark Souls. I want to showcase the many different aspects about
video games that are not often talked about and also to talk about why Dark Souls fits in this
piece as a whole. I will draw upon my experiences with Dark Souls in order to better enhance my
position.
Terms:
Gaming: Gaming is the act of playing a video game through a video gaming device or a
computer. Gaming in todays world is an every growing hobby and in some ever growing cases
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it is a fulltime job to play, create, and review video games. It is quickly becoming a sport to
interact with characters on a TV or computer screen. There are many different ways that a person
could play games as there are many devices that are used to play games. Gaming also has
different applications beyond that of entertainment. Gaming can be a learning experience but
video gaming also has health implications.
Video games Video games are a form of entertainment. They often feature interactions with a
character of the games choosing. Video games can be played on devices that have the
capability, such as a phone or a computer. Video games like movies or books, feature many
genres or styles that differentiate every video game from each other. Themes are often present
within video games just as they are present within other forms of media. A Video game in
essence is a movie with a story that the viewer controls. Video games also have different ratings
to distinguish playing ages as some games can be violent and in turn require a certain age in
order to play the game. Video games are not only a source of entertainment but can also be used
for therapeutic uses such as in use after corrective eye surgery or to enhance coordination in an
arm after severe injury has occurred.
Literacy: Literacy has many definitions but overall is the way that a person communicates with
the world through many tasks that he or she can perform adequately. These tasks are not limited
to reading or performing a job yet they can expand to any task that a person does repeatedly over
a period of time. Literacy can also change depending on cultures or groups of people. Different
literacies within certain countries are more valued than others, this can vary from country to
country. Literacies can be formed through actors within a figured world that are valued more so
than other literacies. These literacies then can become artifacts in a culture.
Dark Souls: Dark Souls is a video game that taps into the old school style of video gaming. It has
earned the reputation of being notoriously hard and unforgiving. Dark Souls is a 3
rd
person
dungeon crawler that focuses on one character that is theoretically somehow sacrificing himself
for the good of all others. This game also features a high learning curve and also features many
themes that enter twine with one another throughout the course of the game. The game itself is
not unfair but it will teach the player the idea of success through trial and error.
Education: Education is the process of retrieving information. This can occur in the traditional
classroom setting such a school or university. There are many ways in which education can occur
and the types of education vary depending on the course material and the education system in
place at a specific educational center. A way that education can occur is through a mostly
unknown method called video game learning. Video game learning involves a game specifically
designed to teach a specific train of thought, lesson, or course material. Video game learnings
advantage over standard methods is that it incorporates the level of interactivity present in more
mainstream games that are used for entertainment value. Video game learning can also be
tweaked in order to suit the educators motives.
Video game evolution/education: Video games have changed significantly over a relatively small
period of time. As games have expanded the level of interaction present within video games has
changed significantly. It is important to know the difference between educational video games
and entertainment based video games. Both types include learning except that entertainment
based video games cannot be applied to traditional classroom settings even though they have
benefits such as the ability to enhance certain skills like a surgeons precision. Educational video
games incorporate good learning principles, principles supported by current research and
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expandable content. A certain degree of interaction is present within educational video games
that helps teach the course material.
Conclusion
Video games have many real world applications that can be applied to certain places within the
job industry. An example of this is the application in the school classroom. The selected criteria
that I think is most important to successfully creating an educational video game that can teach
course material is firstly to gauge what types of video games the classroom is interested in as a
whole. The reason for this is that certain video games actually turn off certain individuals thus
having every student on the same page is key in order to creating a successful learning
environment. Second, the video game in question has to be light enough that it is not distracting
yet engaging enough that the game itself relates to the course material at hand. An example of
this is having a game such as Dark Souls present in a specific level in order to highlight
analytical thinking as well as multi-tasking. An even better example is using the game
Civilization in order to teach world history. Third, is to have every student interact with the
course material at least once within the class period, this way no student is left behind without
actually learning anything as well as maintaining the level of interactivity that is needed with
education video games within a classroom setting.




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Refrences

Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy?
Computers in Entertainment (CIE), 1(1), 20-20.

The key idea within this piece is that literacy has a big effect within video games and how we
approach video games as a whole. How video games influence learning is key as they explain the
idea of failure and retrying at a specific checkpoint in order to learn the layout of an area in order
to master a specific level. The video games designed in the modern day often teach us about real
world dilemmas. There is a difference between learning within video game to learning in the real
world. For instance the idea of failing in the real world has many limitations and limits the
process in which a person learns from his mistakes. Yet in a videogame you learn from the
deaths that the player goes through as the checkpoint system in most games encourages the
player to try new things in order to succeed. This source will add the idea of literacy and how it
affects the process of learning within a game.

Prensky, M. (2006). Don't Bother Me, Mom, I'm Learning!: How Computer and Video
Games are Preparing Your Kids for 21st Century Success and how You Can Help!. New
York: Paragon House.

In this piece the main theme of this is to highlight the way that modern games are influencing the
future generation for the better. This piece also has to do with problem solving. They offer
critical thinking as well as the idea of risk taking. The games have to be played appropriately and
not all games fit this genre of teaching the future generation. Video games often present morals
and ethics to the player which in turn results in the choice made by the player. This is a present
trend as more and more gamers are driven away from the easy games but then chose to buy
harder games to fulfill their growing needs and wants within a video game. Most gamers also
want new breathtaking moments that will be remembered for a long period of time. Most often
these games feature learning and complex set pieces whether through mechanics or story. I will
use this piece to highlight the need for a complex video game rather than playing an easy video
game over a long period of time. This will also help model how a video game can reflect real life
in some examples.

Gee, J. P. (2005). Learning by design: Good video games as learning machines. E-
learning, 2(1), 5-16.

In this piece instead of usually highlighting how video help games teach learning. The idea here
is to apply the concept that video games enforce a specific type of learning depending on the
video game into a traditional classroom or an e learning setting. More and more teachers are
incorporating games within their course schedule in order to enforce learning through mental
invigoration. The games can range from Jeopardy to video games such as mine craft in order to
teach physics or another real world concept. I will use this piece as a way of putting the idea of
learning through video games to practice. The practice itself is being adopted in many classroom
settings but most importantly e learning is seeing the biggest growth yet this can be extended to
other places. An example of this would be video game simulations that are used within the army
or with airline training centers.

Dondlinger, M. J. (2007). Educational video game design: A review of the literature.
Journal of Applied Educational Technology, 4(1), 21-31.

How Video game design has changed overtime. In this piece the key concept is to differentiate
between all video games on whether they are learning games or entertainment games. The main
difference that separates both types of games is that within an entertainment based game the
game itself is linear, feed the player the story, and tell the player how to go about doing things in
the game. There is very little exploration within those types of games thus there is very little to
learn and improve upon within the game. Yet within a learning game there is a sense of
interactivity. Games of this nature are usually free world and offer a variety of ways to explore
the world, morals, and society within that world. I will use this piece inorder to differentiate
between video games of learning and entertainment. How Dark Souls fits within the learning
community of games will also be included.

Dondlinger, M. J. (2007). Educational video game design: A review of the literature.
Journal of Applied Educational Technology, 4(1), 21-31.

Education game design has changed significantly over the years as gaming companies have
invested a large amount of capital in order to progress the industry of video games. The main
point is to highlight the change in how learning occurs as well as discuss educational game
design and how analytical games are conducive to learning and therapeutic needs. This will be
used to better highlight how games have evolved over time as well as compare the types of
learning to Dark Souls.

Squire, K. (2003). Video games in education. Int. J. Intell. Games & Simulation, 2(1), 49-
62.

Computer video games are at the fore front of the video game industry and are a maturing
medium for the industry. For most people learning in video games has been ignored by most
educators and alike. This happens as most groups discuss the negative side effects of video
games that occur due to abuse of the product. The paper itself examines ways that learning could
be brought to educators eyes and how that help achieve a certain goal for the school classroom. I
will use this source in order to talk about the implementation of video games in the traditional
classroom setting.

Gee, J. P. (2005). Good video games and good learning. In Phi Kappa Phi Forum (Vol.
85, No. 2, p. 33). THE HONOR SOCIETY OF PHI KAPPA PHI.

The content of video games has changed drastically over a long period of time. As games
expanded in gameplay the content has expanded as well. The learning principles within the game
have also expanded except that only deep learning happens when a developer commits and sees
value within the work. The way the game operates changes what is taught or introduced within
the game. I will primarily focus on this source in order to explain the types of learning that occur
within video games.

Squire, K. (2005). Changing the game: What happens when video games enter the
classroom. Innovate: Journal of online education, 1(6).

This piece aims to primarily focus on why video game learning has not occurred to a significant
degree within the class room setting. The piece also cites that students who are having trouble
with a certain material experience greater success to video game learning than those who are
already successful in the class room. This could be due to the way the hierarchical organization
of the classroom is set up. I will highlight the problems and attempt to come up with a solution to
introducing video game learning to the classroom.
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literature review.
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Rosser, J. C., Lynch, P. J., Cuddihy, L., Gentile, D. A., Klonsky, J., & Merrell, R. (2007).
The impact of video games on training surgeons in the 21st century. Archives of Surgery,
142(2), 181-186.

Certain video games enhance the ability of real world workers as they perform the task assigned
by their work place. An example is surgeons who play video games regularly have greater
surgical skill. This is due to the precision required by some video games and this directly
translates the precision that a surgeon would need in an operation or emergency setting. I aim to
use this source to provide contextual support to my piece in order to show real world applications
that already occur.

Mitchell, A., & Savill-Smith, C. (2004). The use of computer and video games for
learning: A review of the literature.

Video games are very popular with the current generation of people and this is due to the
freedom in the way that the consumer can experience the entertainment value that is brought
from a video game. This piece highlights on a research report that focuses on the potential of
game oriented learning and its applications. I will use this source as supporting information to
my piece on video game learning.