The “Wikipedia problem” which means children turning to internet for readymade answers may be the new age phenomenon baffling teachers and mentors globally. You can find almost equal amounts of teachers who consider technology to be a solution just as much as a problem. While a standard belief is that technology is hindering the students’ capacity to think and analyze, gleam strong opinion in favor of video gaming and digital gadgets’ ability to engage students and enhance learning through the use of several sensory stimulators. In spite of the growing concern concerning the students’ deteriorating attention spans, institutions are incorporating them along the way of classroom learning.

Children are inherently inquisitive creatures. They have a curiosity to discover new things and learn by way of discovering and experimenting even before they’re subjected to methods of formal education such as for example reading or writing. Science is really a discipline of experiments and discoveries. The National Science Education Standards emphasize that “science education must give students three kinds of scientific skills and understandings. Students need to learn the principles and concepts of science, acquire the reasoning and procedural skills of scientists, and understand the nature of science as a specific form of human endeavor. Students therefore ought to be able to devise and perform investigations that test their ideas, and they need to understand why such investigations are uniquely powerful. Studies show that students are more likely to understand and wthhold the concepts that they have learned this way “. Hence, it becomes imperative to engage children in science education at an early stage.

Digital games are more competent to gain students’ interests and attention than other conventional method of imparting education in a classroom. However, some educationists also regard them as culprits of exponential decline in the eye span in children. Another sections on this page discuss the involvement of children in games in the tech age, forms of games available in the market and the impact of digital gaming as learning aids in classrooms.

Gaming and the brand new Age Kids

Digital technology has expanded the horizons of video gaming in today’s world. Kids are subjected to far more complex and challenging technological environment than their counterparts were from over half of a century back. Involvement of kids in digital gaming is because many significant changes in the lifestyle and culture of the modern society. Easy accessibility of technology, dispensable income due to dual income families and insufficient infrastructure for outdoor activities in many cities are some major contributors in making screen games an important area of the children’s’ lives. A study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) found that only 20 percent of the census blocks are within half a mile of a block boundary. Also, counterwin88 of peer pressure can’t be undermined in these times of social networking.

The digital gaming market is among the fastest growing segments of the global entertainment industry. US is witnessing unprecedented penetration of digital games amongst youngsters. In the US, 97% of the teens play some form of game regularly. In India, the gaming market has grown manifold in the last few years. Hence, it is imperative that educationists are continuously contemplating the use of digital gaming as a learning tool in classrooms. Institutions may also be employing innovative ways to leverage the digital advantage for enhancing the learning experience at schools.

What exactly are Digital Games?

There is absolutely no concrete definition of games as it might vary having an individual’s preference and profession. Games can be defined as a “system where players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, which create a quantifiable outcome”. Technology and digitization add new dimensions to games where simulations, interactivity, augmented reality, alternative reality, collective intelligence and sensory stimulators such as for example sound and visual effects. Digital games may also be seen as a their portability and limitless accessibility.