Video Games as Educational Tools

When many people think of video games their mind goes directly to one of a few antiquated ideas. Some believe that they are nothing but mindless violence while others picture simple mindless reflex reaction. Both have elements of truth in them, but only elements, for it is impossible now to deny the complexity and depth at work in the world of video games today.
The point is that video games are no longer mindless automatic reaction but can instead have deep, meaningful impact on gamers. A recent article from the New York Times documented how many libraries and other educational institutions are attempting to use video games to up interest in reading. The question seems to be, however, does reading equal learning, and can the skills derived from playing video games be transferred to other settings. I believe they can.
Will Richardson, prominent education blogger, sees this as a somewhat vacant point. In his response to the above article, he had this to say about video games as tools.

The obvious answer is because in school, Noah doesn’t get to learn reading and writing in the context of the things he’s passionate about. And in that respect, if games are a way to get kids engaged in words, great. I guess I wonder how much of a connection there really is in that regard, and how we would be able to create that connection in classrooms even if it does exist.

In this reaction he makes a valid argument, but seems to miss the bigger picture. Video games engage minds. They have grown to be extremely complex either recreated or re-imagined worlds, and regardless of whether anyone likes it or not they are shaping the way children think and how they see the world. So in this sense, video games are already at use in education. Many games have puzzles that help teach lateral thinking, while others allow the player to become an entirely different person which can help open their mind to a greater sense of empathy. But Richardson is right in saying that implementing them in the highly standardized world of today’s education might be difficult, because no easy answer jumps to mind. However, as they say, the proof is in the pudding and games are here to stay and already making an impact so it’s best to find a way to get on the wagon before we (the educators) get left behind.