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{{short description|Video game genre}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}▼
[[File:Vtech socrates.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A [[VTech]] educational video game.]]▼
{{broader|Educational game}}
▲{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
{{Video game industry}}
An '''educational video game''' is a [[video game]] that provides learning or training value to the player. [[Edutainment]] describes an intentional merger of video games and educational software into a single product (and could therefore also comprise more serious titles sometimes described under children's learning software). In the narrower sense used here, the term describes educational software which is primarily about entertainment, but tends to educate as well and sells itself partly under the educational umbrella. Normally software of this kind is not structured towards school [[curricula]] and does not involve educational advisors.
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==Definition==
Educational video games can be categorized into two classes:<ref>{{cite journal | title = Educational Video Game Design: A Review of the Literature | first = Mary Jo | last = Dondlinger | journal = Journal of Applied Educational Technology | volume =4 | issue =1 | date = 2007 }}</ref>
* Edutainment games are those designed around drilling subject matter to the user in a linear manner, while wrapping the game with entertainment aspects.
* Educational video games are aimed to encourage creative thinking and problem solving, and encourage greater interactivity from the user, often presented in non-linear experiences.
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* Empire-building games such as the ''[[Civilization (video game)|Civilization]]'' series (1991–2013) and the ''[[Europa Universalis]]'' series (2000–2014) help players to learn about history and its political, economic and military aspects;
* Railroad management games such as ''[[Railroad Tycoon]]'' (1990–2003) and ''[[Rails Across America]]'' (2001) illuminate the history, engineering and economics of railroad management.
* Geography games such as ''[[PlaceSpotting]]'' (2008–2009) and [[GeoGuessr]] help players to find locations on
* Physics games such as ''[[Quantum Moves]]'' and ''[[A Slower Speed of Light]]'' aim to impart intuition for complicated physics concepts such as quantum mechanics and special relativity.
* Geometry games with [[non-Euclidean geometry]], such as ''[[HyperRogue]]'' and ''Hyperbolica'', aim to impart intuition for how non-Euclidean spaces such as [[hyperbolic space|hyperbolic]] and [[spherical geometry|spherical space]]s work.
* Trading and commerce based games such as ''[[The Patrician (video game)|The Patrician]]'' challenge players to create and grow a trading empire managing acquiring, processing, transporting, and bartering resources within a limited region.
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The [[early mainframe game]] ''[[The Sumerian Game]]'' (1964) was, while not the first [[resource management (gaming)|resource management game]], the first designed for elementary school students.<ref name="SumerianRetro">{{cite web |url=http://www.acriticalhit.com/sumerian-game-most-important-video-game-youve-never-heard/ |title=The Sumerian Game: The Most Important Video Game You've Never Heard Of |last=Willaert |first=Kate |website=A Critical Hit |date=2019-09-09 |access-date=2019-09-10}}</ref> In 1970 Abt published a book on the topic: "Serious games: The art and science of games that simulate life.".<ref>Abt, C. C. (1970). Serious games: The art and science of games that simulate life. USA: New Yorks Viking.</ref>
Educational games became more popular in the early 1980s due to a number of factors. The [[video game crash of 1983]] caused the console market in the United States to collapse, displaced by the growing home computer market. Further, the [[arcade game]] market was partially affected by the crash, but also had become stigmatized by a new [[moral panic]] around video game arcades due to perceived connections to violence and video game addiction. Computer game developers looked to take advantage of the situation by creating education games for home computer systems which would not only satisfy children's entertainment but would please parents and educators.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/children-80s-never-fear-video-games-did-not-ruin-your-life-180963452/ | title = Children of the '80s Never Fear: Video Games Did Not Ruin Your Life | first = Michael Z. | last= Newman | date = May 25, 2017 | access-date = March 9, 2021 | work = [[Smithsonian Magazine]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Making games normal: Computer gaming discourse in the 1980s | first = Grahme | last= Kirkpatrick | journal = [[New Media & Society]] | volume = 18 | issue = 6 | doi = 10.1177/1461444814558905 | date = 2016 | pages = 1439–1454 | s2cid = 37854697 | url = https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/making-games-normal-computer-gaming-discourse-in-the-1980s(2aa05502-1b95-43db-8b75-26dff17c23f0).html }}</ref> In September 1983 the ''[[Boston Phoenix]]'' reported that "[[edutainment]]" games were a new focus area for companies after end of growth of the [[Atari 2600]] software market.<ref name="mitchell19830906">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gn0hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tYoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5584%2C3561802 | title=A summer-CES report | work=Boston Phoenix | date=1983-09-06 | access-date=10 January 2015 | author=Mitchell, Peter W. | pages=4}}</ref> In 1983, the term "edutainment" was used to describe a package of software games for the Oric 1 and Spectrum Microcomputers in the UK. Dubbed "arcade edutainment" an advertisement for the package can be found in various issues of "Your Computer" magazine from 1983. The software package was available from Telford ITEC a government-sponsored training program. The originator of the name was Chris Harvey who worked at ITEC at the time.
Since then, many other computer games such as [[Electronic Arts]]'s ''[[The Seven Cities of Gold (video game)|Seven Cities of Gold]]'', released in 1984, have also used ''edutainment'' as a descriptive term. Most edutainment games seek to teach players by employing a [[game-based learning]] approach. Criticism as to which video games can be considered educational has led to the creation of "[[serious games]]" whose primary focus is to ''teach'' rather than entertain.<ref>Djaouti, D., Alvarez, J., Jessel, J., & Rampnoux, O. (2011). Origins of Serious Games. Serious Games and Edutainment Applications.</ref>
Psychologist [Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen] researched the educational use and potential of computer games and has written many articles on the subject. One paper dealing specifically with edutainment breaks it down into 3 general categories to separate the cognitive methods most predominantly used to teach.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.egenfeldt.eu/papers/sweet_music.pdf|title=Making sweet music: The Educational Use of Computer Games|author=Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S|publisher=Center for Computer Games Research|website=www.Neuenfeldt.eu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007130717/http://www.egenfeldt.eu/papers/sweet_music.pdf|archive-date=
==In education==
Games provide structure to problem-solving. This allows a player to "fail up", meaning that with the combination of challenging and fun and identity-building, the student will want to continue to persist on that problem until it is solved. It is a productive failure. This may take quite a few times before success is reached, but progress is obtained each time and so is knowledge on how to solve that problem. Iteration and discovery become two major aspects to learning through game playing. Many students have a "sweet spot" for gaming, which allows gaming in education to be successful in terms of grasping concepts, while this can be more difficult through the use of a book. Students may not even realize that they are learning through a game. Games need to include novelty. Unexpected occurrences and challenging choices allow the player to want to keep playing. Having a story or narrative in the game is what can really suck a player into the game. It allows for continuous feedback and challenges at the right level of difficulty, while avoiding frustration.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}<ref>{{Cite book| last1 = Lebowitz| first1 = Josiah| last2 = Klug| first2 = Chris| publisher = Focal Press| isbn = 978-0-240-81717-0| pages = 107–116| editor = Josiah Lebowitz, Chris Klug (eds.)|title = Interactive Storytelling for Video Games| chapter = Chapter Five - Making Stories Emotional| location = Boston| access-date = 2024-04-19| date = 2011-01-01| chapter-url = https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780240817170000050}}</ref>
When developing successful learning games for the classroom, it can be a challenging task. In order for the game to show achievement in student learning, the games should hold certain qualities. The development of successful games to promote learning requires attention to opposing factors. Creativity and inventiveness is needed to help the outcome work well and run smoothly. Games should take the opposite approach of drill-and-practice principles, as this simplifies the games and limits the domains of knowledge. The three factors to keep in mind when designing strong and successful games are integration, motivation, and focus. In order for the player to progress in the game, they must master the learning goals and objectives behind the game.<ref name="Brains on video games">{{Cite journal|last1=Bavelier|first1=Daphne|last2=Green|first2=C. Shawn|last3=Han|first3=Doug Hyun|last4=Renshaw|first4=Perry F.|last5=Merzenich|first5=Michael M.|last6=Gentile|first6=Douglas A.|title=Brains on video games|journal=Nature Reviews Neuroscience|volume=12|issue=12|pages=763–768|doi=10.1038/nrn3135|pmc=4633025|pmid=22095065|year=2011}}</ref> The game should be integrated with learning goals. In the content that needs to be taught through the game, it should be made a point that in order to succeed in the game, is to know the information, which creates importance to the player. The game needs to be as motivating as possible and should pose a challenge. The primary activity of the game should be interacting and interesting to the students. Games are about decision making, where you see what the consequences are and what feedback you receive. Games teach students about rewards, but that it takes some work to receive those rewards. The actions within the game need to be relevant to life outside the game, so learning can occur. Focus can most successfully occur when one is learning by exploring, operating, or interacting.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
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Teachers are using games more regularly that focus on a wide variety of objectives, while exposing students to more game genres and devices. There is much more structure, which makes it a lot easier for the teacher, and the students enjoy it. Students have become so fluent with the use of online tools. Learning data can be generated from the use of online games, which allow the teacher to have insight on the knowledge the children have obtained, and what needs improvement; this can then help a teacher with their curriculum and teaching.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
[[File:USMC-110816-M-7621B-001.jpg|thumb|A student uses a Smart Board in class.]]
A nationwide study of 488 K–12 teachers in the United States found that, as of 2013, over half were using digital games in the classroom weekly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gamesandlearning.umich.edu/a-games/key-findings/survey-report/digital-game-use/|title=Digital Game Use: Teachers in the Classroom {{!}} The A-Games Project|website=gamesandlearning.umich.edu|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> Most classrooms nowadays have replaced the traditional blackboard for the [[Smart Board]], bringing technology into the classroom. As we move forward into the digital age, most schools provide lessons on computer literacy to ensure students are fluent when it comes to technology. Likewise, the use of well-designed educational video games delivers game based learning that can motivate students to participate more enthusiastically in subjects, including those that are often less popular. It is also noted that educational video games offer more interaction, immediate feedback, to both student and teacher, and more student control.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/04/gaming.aspx|title=Gaming to learn|website=American Psychological Association|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> Educational video games that involve aspects of reality, provide students with opportunities to be involved in an interactive environment that they would not ordinarily be allowed to participate in<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hamlen|first=Karla R.|date=2013-10-01|title=Trends in Children's Video Game Play: Practical but Not Creative Thinking|url=http://jec.sagepub.com/content/49/3/277|journal=Journal of Educational Computing Research|language=en|volume=49|issue=3|pages=277–291|doi=10.2190/EC.49.3.a|s2cid=145555928|issn=0735-6331}}</ref> but from the safety of a classroom.
As video games spread in the 1980s, the educational potential of them was researched. Its findings showed that the visual and motor coordination of game players was better than that of non-players. Initial research also indicated the importance of electronic games for children who proved to have difficulty learning basic subjects and skills.<ref>{{cite book|author=Greenfield, P.M.|year=1985|title=El niño y los medios de communicatión|location=Morata, Madrid|isbn=9788471123022}}</ref> It also found that:
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* The adaptability of video games, and the control that players have over them, motivate and stimulate learning.
* In cases where students have difficulty concentrating, video games can be highly useful.
* Promote critical awareness of discourse communities.
* The instant feedback given by video games help arouse curiosity and in turn allows for greater chances of learning.
* Video games teach cooperation.
One common argument for the use of video games in education is that they enable learning from the simulation while having no danger associated with mistakes. For instance, the [[Air Force]] uses [[Flight simulator|piloting simulation]]s in order to teach their pilots how to fly the airplanes. These simulations are meant to prepare the training pilot for real-world flight conditions while at the same time preventing any damage or loss of life in the process. A pilot could crash in the simulation, learn from their mistake and then reset and try again. This process leads to distinct levels of mastery over the simulation and in turn the plane they will also be flying in the future. The [[military]] also utilizes games such as the ''[[ARMA (series)|ARMA]]'' and ''[[SOCOM (series)|Socom]]'' franchises in their training. Games like these immerse the gamer into the realm of the game and will attempt to achieve whatever objective is set out for them using their [[Military tactics|tactical]] skills. This allows for the military to show their [[soldier]]s how to engage certain situations without the risk of injury.<ref>{{cite journal|author=K.D. Squire|title=Video games in education|journal=Int. J. Intell. Games & Simulation|volume=2|issue=1|year=2003|pages= 49–62|citeseerx=10.1.1.543.5729}}</ref>
Games of all types have been shown to increase a different array of skills for players. Attempts have been made to show that [[arcade game#arcade action games|arcade-style action]] and [[platforming game]]s can be used to develop motor co-ordination, manual skills, and reflexes. <!-- Games have also been researched to find a connection with some kinds of games and stress relief. [But what does this have to do with education?] --> Many authors have noted the educational potential of games like ''[[The Sims]]'' (for its [[social simulation]]) or the ''[[Civilization (video game)|Civilization]]'' series (for its historical and strategy elements), concluding that video games as a whole promote intellectual development, and suggest that players can use them to develop knowledge strategies, practice [[problem-solving]], and can improve [[Spatial intelligence (psychology)|spatial]] skills.<ref name="autogenerated2003">{{cite magazine|author1=M. De Aguilera|author2=A. Mendiz|title=Video games and education: (Education in the Face of a 'Parallel School')|magazine=Computers in Entertainment
===Comparison with a classroom model===
Video games have been found to be more engaging in a classroom environment; instead of providing information over an extended class period, games provide small amounts of information at relevant stages. Playing video games helps students with [[metacognition
===Use===
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Video games are inherently incentive-based systems with the player being rewarded for solving a problem or completing a mission, while meeting certain criteria.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> As a result, video games train a systematic way of thinking as well as an understanding for how different variables affect each other.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Furthermore, video games can constantly and automatically assess the learner's ability at any given moment due to the software-based nature of the medium; modular education structures tend to deliver assessments in large chunks and present a relatively limited picture of student progress.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Multiple research articles have suggested that this mode of learning can be more enjoyable and show positive outcomes on student motivation, finding game was equal or more effective than conventional instruction.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Papastergiou|first=Marina|date=2009-11-01|title=Exploring the Potential of Computer and Video Games for Health and Physical Education: A Literature Review|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223265798|journal=Computers & Education|volume=53|issue=3|pages=603–622|doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2009.04.001}}</ref>
Video games such as ''[[Minecraft]]'' and ''[[Portal (video game)|Portal]]'' have been suggested as platforms for teachers to experiment with their educational abilities. ''Minecraft'' is a [[sandbox game]] in which the user can create objects using the [[crafting (gaming)|crafting system]], while ''Portal'' is a [[physics game]]: the player uses the [[laws of physics]], such as [[gravity]] and [[inertia]], to advance through the game's series of test chambers. [[Critical thinking]] and problem solving are inherent in the latter game's design. Both ''Minecraft'' and ''Portal'' are adaptable to some learning environments; for instance, ''Minecraft'' has been used for young children while ''Portal'' has been used by high school physics teachers. ''Portal 2'' has also been used to develop cognitive skills in older undergraduate students, however.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Shute, Valerie J.|title=The power of play: The effects of Portal 2 and Lumosity on cognitive and noncognitive skills|journal=Computers & Education|volume=80|year=2015|pages=58–67|doi=10.1016/j.compedu.2014.08.013|s2cid=15876432 |display-authors=etal}}{{subscription
One study<ref>{{cite journal|author=Poli, Dorothybelle|title=Bringing Evolution to a Technological Generation: A Case Study with the Video Game SPORE|journal=American Biology Teacher|volume=74|issue=2|year=2012|pages=100–103|doi=10.1525/abt.2012.74.2.7|s2cid=84247429|display-authors=etal}}{{subscription
Students who have played ''[[Europa Barbarorum]]'' had knowledge of historical geography beyond the scope taught during the basic [[ancient history]] course. They were able to identify the most important stages of civilization development in the case of states of the Hellenistic era and were very knowledgeable about [[military history]] and [[history of art]]. This knowledge was in large part derived from the comprehensive descriptions included in the game; students also admitted that after playing the game they were much more eager to turn to books dealing with the given historical period. However, Whether or not this intention materialized into more reading of historical periods is not clear.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/3301669|title=Ł. Różycki (2012), Video games in the process of historical education at the academic level, Colloquium, t. 4/2012, p. 75–82.|journal=Colloquium|access-date=September 27, 2016|last1=Różycki|first1=Łukasz|date=January 2012 }}</ref>
Another source<ref>{{cite journal|author=Squire, K.D.|year=2005|title=Changing the game: what happens when video games enter the classroom?|journal= Innovate: Journal of Online Education|volume=1|number=6|issn=1552-3233 |url=http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/Changing%20The%20Game-final_2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061003210948/http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/Changing%20The%20Game-final_2.pdf|archive-date=October 3, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> studied teachers using ''Civilization III'' in high school history classrooms, both during and after school. In this study, not all students were in favor of using the game. Many students found it too difficult and tedious. Some students, particularly high-performing students, were concerned about how it could affect their studies; they felt that "Civilization III was insufficient preparation for the 'game' of higher education." However, students who were failing in the traditional school setting often did significantly better in the game-based unit, and the game seemed to get their attention where traditional schooling did not.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
According to an article on interactive video games in physical education, many of these types of games are not just animated exercise. Many have different assessments and scores based on performance of skills. Some have heart rate monitors and estimate caloric expenditure. Others are designed with enhancing motor abilities in mind. Abilities such as balance, hand-eye coordination, agility and core strength are a few of the motor skills enhanced. These engaging and interactive games have the ability to teach kids about the some physiological functions of the body. One example is that these games can help show kids how their heart reacts to different activities by using the heart rate monitor within the game.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Trout|first1=Josh|last2=Christie|first2=Brett|date=May 2007|title=Interactive Video Games in Physical Education|journal=Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance|volume=78|issue=5|pages=29–45|doi=10.1080/07303084.2007.10598021|s2cid=145666175|issn=0730-3084}}</ref>
One study took the game Semideus to see if it could help to improve performance on rational number tasks, the understanding of whole numbers and mathematical thinking in general. The study concluded if kids were introduced to games that have math well integrated into the gameplay then it kids then it will help them with their skills. The study recommended that the teacher be involved in the game based learning to improve its effectiveness in the students learning.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://journal.seriousgamessociety.org/index.php/IJSG/article/view/98/pdf_30|title=View of Using video games to combine learning and assessment in mathematics education|journal=International Journal of Serious Games|date=7 December 2015 |volume=2 |issue=4 |doi=10.17083/ijsg.v2i4.98 |access-date=2018-11-05|last1=Kiili |first1=Kristian Juha Mikael |last2=Devlin |first2=Keith |last3=Perttula |first3=Arttu |last4=Tuomi |first4=Pauliina |last5=Lindstedt |first5=Antero |doi-access=free }}</ref>
According to journal article, simulation video games makes the player to learn to think critically while gaining knowledge of the environment. The player learns to solve problems through trial and error. Players are able to learn by doing. They learn by experiencing things first-hand and role-playing. These virtual environments enable better learning, collaboration, and enhanced practical reasoning skills.<ref>Annetta, Leonard A. “Video Games in Education: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used.” ''Theory Into Practice'', vol. 47, no. 3, 2008, pp. 229–239. ''JSTOR'', JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40071547.</ref>
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====Barriers to the use of games====
Many teachers have reservations about using video games. One study<ref>{{cite journal|author=Baek, Y.K.|year=2008|title=What hinders teachers in using computer and video games in the classroom? Exploring factors inhibiting the uptake of computer and video games|journal=CyberPsychology & Behavior|volume=11|issue=6|pages=665–671|doi=10.1089/cpb.2008.0127|pmid=19006464}}</ref> asked teachers who had some experience using games in class why they didn't do it more often. Six general categories of factors were identified as problem areas:
* '''Inflexibility of curriculum''': Teachers find it difficult to integrate games with the already-set [[curriculum]] present in classrooms. It can be difficult to locate a game that is educational as well as fun. And many teachers have no experience in using games to teach. Learning with games may not be accepted by skeptical parents who personally learned with more conventional techniques. The interdisciplinary field of game studies has offered a variety of perspectives to complement traditional modes of rhetorical analysis and production, which should be adapted to address the unique affordances of video games as a medium in contrast to the traditional [[banking model of education]].<ref name="Rutherford 2010 12"/>
* '''Stigma:''' Video games are associated with children's play or a leisurely pass time for the adolescent population, which creates tension between the reality of video games enhance a child's educational viewpoint. Video games are thought of to distract children from the seriousness of academics and is considered an unproductive activity.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal|last=Bogost|first=Ian|date=2008|title=The Rhetoric of Video Games.|url=http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/public_html/ruiz/EGDFall2013/readings/RhetoricVideoGames_Bogost.pdf|journal=The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning.|pages=120|via=www.cogsci.rpi.edu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714120833/http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/public_html/ruiz/EGDFall2013/readings/RhetoricVideoGames_Bogost.pdf|archive-date=July 14, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''Psychological issues''': Gaming can promote student [[Video game addiction|addiction]] as well as physical problems. Students may also lose their desire to learn in the traditional setting. It can also remove teacher control and result in "excessive competition".
* '''Students' lack of readiness''': Students have varying levels of skill and [[computer literacy]], which may be affected by their [[Achievement gap|socioeconomic status]]. It takes time to teach them the rules of games, and games are harder for them to understand than traditional audiovisuals.
* '''Lack of supporting materials''': Teachers do not have access to supporting text or work for students to do alongside games.
* '''Fixed class schedules''': Teachers have time constraints and their school may not allow them to use games. More sophisticated games, often yielding the most learning content, often take hours to learn, and more time to play. The tutorials for Civilization V take an hour to finish, and complete games can take
* '''Limited budgets''': Computer equipment, software, and fast Internet connections are expensive and difficult for teachers to obtain.
* '''Relevance to Common Core''': The educational systems is increasingly driven by standardized testing focused on assessment of common core topics. Games exist for these topics (glasslabgames.org) but gameplay is generally not competitive with commercial video games.
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Commercial video games in general, referred to as [[commercial off the shelf]] (COTS) games, have been suggested as having a potentially important role to assist learning in a range of crucial transferable skills.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> One example of this would be in [[first-person shooter]] games such as the ''[[Call of Duty]]'' franchise (although these games are violent by nature, and they have been subject to massive negative reception by parents with varying justification). While the ''Call of Duty'' franchise itself falls short of actual tactical strategy or realism in depth, there are many games in the same ''genre'' (first-person shooters) from which one can learn key skills from the games: they stimulate the player at the cognitive level as they move through the level, mission, or game as a whole.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> They also teach strategy, as players need to come up with ways to penetrate enemy lines, stealthily avoid the enemy, minimize casualties, and so on. Players can test their usage of these skills using the multiplayer aspect of these games. These games also allow players to enhance their [[peripheral vision]], because they need to watch for movement on the screen and make quick decisions about whether it is a threat, to avoid wasting ammunition or harming allied players.
Other games, such as the ''[[Guitar Hero]]'' and ''[[Rock Band]]'' franchises, have been used to provide insight to the basic nature of education in video games. Success at these games requires the player to first fail multiple times – this is the only way to learn the proper actions.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> These games also provide real-time feedback on how well the player is doing, an area in which traditional educational systems are lacking.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> The main advantage with video games is that there is nothing to lose from failing, unlike in real life, where failing usually results in negative consequences.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>{{cite conference|author=Shatz, I.|year=2015|url=http://itamarshatz.me/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Using-Gamification-and-Gaming-in-Order-to-Promote-Risk-Taking-in-the-Language-Learning-Process.pdf|title=Using Gamification and Gaming in Order to Promote Risk Taking in the Language Learning Process|conference=Proceedings of the 13th Annual MEITAL National Conference|pages=227–232|location=Haifa, Israel|publisher=Technion|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307170229/http://itamarshatz.me/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Using-Gamification-and-Gaming-in-Order-to-Promote-Risk-Taking-in-the-Language-Learning-Process.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Games similar in nature to [[Animal Crossing]] give the opportunity for its players to practice multiple life applicable skills such as time management, materialistic value, investing in payment plans, skill building, and more day to day neighborhood based activities. The value of the cutesy, animated, animal characters who each execute neighborliness in the video game foster a friendship value that primarily focuses on the social practices learned while playing the game. Players may experience an increase in comprehension, evaluation, and deliberate skills that are gained from playing this animated game that sends out messages about cultural, social, or political practices.<ref
A research project involving positive use of video games is outlined in an article that focuses on studies that suggest there are health benefits to playing video games. This article<ref name=Gallagher/> presents information from studies from the [[University of Utah]], [[Deakin University]] in Melbourne, Australia, 2009's ''Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine'', [[University of Washington]], Visual Development Lab of Ontario's [[McMaster University]], [[University of Rochester]] in New York, and [[North Carolina State University]]. The researchers from these universities found that video games are therapeutic for children with [[chronic illness]]es, can improve preschoolers' motor skills, reduce stress and depression, provide relief from pain, improve vision, improve decision-making skills, and maintain happiness in old age as well.<ref name=Gallagher>{{cite web|title=7 health benefits of playing video games|last=Gallagher|first=Danny|website=[[The Week]] |date=March 10, 2013|url=http://theweek.com/article/index/241121/7-health-benefits-of-playing-video-games}}</ref>
One study suggests that commercial video games can help players to improve in certain skills such as communication, resourcefulness, and adaptability. In this study undergraduate students were assigned at random to be in either an intervention or a control group. To measure adaptability, resourcefulness and communication, there were self-report instruments given to both groups.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2018-03-01|title=Student attitudes to games-based skills development: Learning from video games in higher education|journal=Computers in Human Behavior|volume=80|pages=283–294|doi=10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.030|issn=0747-5632|last1=Barr|first1=Matthew|url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/151995/1/151995.pdf|doi-access=free|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722085448/http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/151995/1/151995.pdf|archive-date=2018-07-22|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Special educational needs==
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There have been many video games created within the past decades that specifically target special needs children, ''Dreamware'' being one. The device uses visual, auditory, temperature, and vibration sensory integration training which have been proven to capture the child's attention, keeping them focused for longer periods, allowing the child to learn more.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lee|first1=Jin-Hee|last2=Choi|first2=Eikyu|last3=Song|first3=Minseok|last4=Shin|first4=Byeong-Seok|date=2012-04-27|title=Dreamware: edutainment system for children with developmental disability|journal=Multimedia Tools and Applications|language=en|volume=68|issue=2|pages=305–319|doi=10.1007/s11042-012-1089-x|s2cid=12216772|issn=1380-7501}}</ref>
Other educational video games targeted towards those with special education needs include virtual reality, as it can provide knowledge building experiences. One study conducted by Professor Standen of [[University of Nottingham]] concluded that adolescent students with severe intellectual disabilities who practiced shopping in a virtual supermarket were both quicker and more precise than those who had not.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Standen|first1=P. J.|last2=Brown|first2=D. J.|date=2006-09-22|title=Virtual reality and its role in removing the barriers that turn cognitive impairments into intellectual disability|journal=Virtual Reality|language=en|volume=10|issue=3–4|pages=241–252|doi=10.1007/s10055-006-0042-6|s2cid=2756145|issn=1359-4338|url=http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5899/1/188352_5972%20Brown%20Publisher.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719151638/http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5899/1/188352_5972%20Brown%20Publisher.pdf|archive-date=2018-07-19|url-status=live}}</ref> This showed that students could acquire important life skills through a video game and could then transfer that knowledge into the real environment, making them a valuable tool in education.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
== Importance to learners ==
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It is also important for students to be able to ask questions on topics they do not fully understand. A supervising teacher may be able to aid the student whereas the computer cannot provide answers to all questions posed. Using educational computer games also relies on the teacher having prior knowledge of how the game works and be somewhat computer literate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/a/cortland.edu/researchproject2/disadvantages|title=Disadvantages - Games in Education|website=sites.google.com|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref>
Regardless of the enthusiasm surrounding video games and learning, very few studies have come to a conclusive answer as to whether educational video games improve academic achievement and classroom performance.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Young|first1=Michael F.|last2=Slota|first2=Stephen|last3=Cutter|first3=Andrew B.|last4=Jalette|first4=Gerard|last5=Mullin|first5=Greg|last6=Lai|first6=Benedict|last7=Simeoni|first7=Zeus|last8=Tran|first8=Matthew|last9=Yukhymenko|first9=Mariya|date=2012-03-01|title=Our Princess Is in Another Castle A Review of Trends in Serious Gaming for Education|url=http://rer.sagepub.com/content/82/1/61|journal=Review of Educational Research|language=en|volume=82|issue=1|pages=61–89|doi=10.3102/0034654312436980|s2cid=7670198|issn=0034-6543}}</ref> Although individuals may develop game-specific abilities; these may not transfer into traditional academic skills required for learning.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Duff|first=Simon|date=2015-03-01|editor=Fran C. Blumberg|title=Learning by Playing: Video Gaming in Education|url=http://plj.sagepub.com/content/14/1/77|journal=Psychology Learning & Teaching|language=en|volume=14|issue=1|pages=77–79|doi=10.1177/1475725714565261|s2cid=147055676|issn=1475-7257}}</ref> Only additional research could tell whether playing educational video games improves classroom behaviour and academic skills.
==Video clips==
* History - while "News is the first cut of history" is [[pack journalism|often]] a reality,<ref>{{cite magazine
|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/14/science/about-education-video-cassettes-bring-history-to-life.html
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===Works cited===
* {{cite journal|author=Achtman, R. L.|author2=C. S. Green|author3=Daphne Bavelier|name-list-style=amp|title=Video games as a tool to train visual skills|journal=Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience|volume=26|issue=4, 5|year=2008|pages=435–446|pmc=2884279|pmid=18997318}}
* {{cite book|editor=Chang, Maiga|display-editors=etal|url=https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783642033636 |title=Learning by Playing. Game-based Education System Design and Development: 4th International Conference on E-learning, Edutainment 2009, Banff, Canada, August 9-11, 2009, Proceedings|volume=5670|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2009|isbn=9783642033636|series=Information Systems and Applications, incl. Internet/Web, and HCI}}
{{VideoGameGenre}}
[[Category:Educational video games| ]]
[[Category:Video game genres]]
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