Gaming Education

Recently in class we learned about the use of games as a learning tool. With the extensive technologies it is now possible to do more than ever before on the internet. We have learned that cloud computing, open source software, and social networking and media have all been recent additions to the teaching curriculum for younger students. It really amazes me how much technology has advanced since I was a kid. I remember when the first sims game came out (sim city) and roller coaster tycoon. That was just the beginning of interactive online games that taught users how to budget, earn money, and take care of "living" people. Now the sims games are more interactive, and the graphics are insane. Not only that but we learned about Second Life, which is like a more interactive version of the sims, that people actually invest real money in and can even make a profit. I was shocked to learn that there have been real law suits regarding money and copy rights in the video world of second life, it is instances like this that the legal issues and ethical lines become blurred.

While Games such as second life and the sims don't have much to do with my major, I do acknowledge the importance of getting youth to learn in many different ways. For my major I'm going to have to learn a lot about television, and broadcasting, and it may be helpful if there was some kind of game to virtually learn those things. I remember in high school in AP bio we used a computer program my teacher created to virtually dissect animals that we would not have the opportunity to do otherwise. It also had quizzes scattered throughout so we really learned the material. The group with the most points for correct answers won prizes or extra credit points on their test. I think creating games such as this would be very beneficial to a wide variety of subjects, and with the continuous advancements it shouldn't be too hard to keep them entertaining.