Byte Speed: Video Games & Education

MIT literature professor, Dr. Alice Robison, discusses video games and education on a podcast on Byte Speed.

Dr. Robison discusses gaming & learning and general learning practices that are reflect in the act and experience of video games. Video games are not about the content, but they are about the process. This line of thought is in line with Gee and Shaffer's work, that while games do not teach math problems they do teach students how to think link a mathematician.

Games are designed to encourage social interaction for success. I've talked about this before, but she provides support to the general discussion.

She also makes the point that thinking is traditionally separate from doing, while most students are used to think and do at the same time. Mulit-tasking is not a distraction, but is a natural practice. I makes me think of the complaints I've heard from others about all the distractions the students get into once they sit at a computer. Would they be any less distracted in a traditional classroom if the content was not either engaging or relevant?