Gaming in the Classrooom

OnlineSchools.com has an infographic (below) on the benefits of gaming in the classroom.  Over the past year, I've been studying what kind of high school science courses are the best preparation for college work, especially in science and engineering.  Reading the infographic, I was struck by how much games have in common with effective science instruction.

For example, there is ample evidence that active learning strategies in student centered environments are extremely effective for teaching science.  According to the infographic, games are motivating because they make students active participants, give students control, and provide opportunities for experiential learning.  In short, games have the potential to promote exactly the sort of environment I want to create in my classroom.

The infographic also mentions a Scottish study that found games are able to promote high-level skills such as problem solving, collaboration, and communication.  In science education, there is a growing movement to emphasize these same kinds of skills.  Widely accepted measures such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Advanced Placement (AP) physics tests have reduced the breadth of content in order to leave room for the kind of experiences that promote critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills.  The NGSS even explicitly includes communicating information as part of the science and engineering practices portion of the standards.  Once again, the right game can promote important aspects of science education.

Based on this infographic, there is important overlap between the kind of learning environment that games can promote and the kind of learning environment that is most effective for teaching science.  The right game can be a great addition to a science curriculum.