Effects of Video Games on the Brain [Infographic. Share this post: The psychological effect of video games on the human brain, especially in children, is a very controversial topic as video game usage rates skyrocket in the 21st century. Similar to the argument on whether or not TV is beneficial to development, some people claim that video games are detrimental to the development of the human brain, while others praise video games as helping to sharpen the human brain.
See also: Internet Today Compared to the Internet of the 1990s [Infographic] The reason this topic is so hotly contested is because the real answer is a little bit of both. Video games can be both beneficial and detrimental to the human brain. To help identify which aspects of playing video games are helpful and which aren’t, OnlineUniversities.com has published an infographic (posted below) regarding what effects video games have on the brain. Overview of the Effect Video Games Have on the Brain Infographic: About Anson Alexander. Using games to educate and solve problems: Playing with conflict and brains. Over the years, the decades, I have been time after time convinced of the value of games to teach, and so recently have been researching game design. I want to create my own educational games. The topic is wide-ranging and opinions on every aspect, even the definition of game, are many. Unfortunately the number of books and articles on the actual how-to of designing is sparse.
At this blog post, I will post what I find in my search. Do you recommend any resources I can add below? The book I have found most interesting because it is almost a philosophical take on games is The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses; unfortunately reading it will not equip you to create your own game but will allow you to thoroughly evaluate one you've already designed. Games focus on health, wealth, contentment, fun, war, much more—and the list grows daily. Let's look at an example of a teaching game. Click to play the game. More soon. INFOGRAPHIC: Women Dominate Social Gaming In The U.S. Deadline for the Games for Change Awards is March 23rd - Submit Now. 2nd Annual Games for Change Award Winners Do you have what it takes to be Game of the Year? The submission process has just opened for the 3rd Annual Games for Change Awards. Of note for this year… new categories! 2012 Award Categories include: Most Significant Impact Most Innovative Game Best Gameplay Knight News Game and… Game of the Year The deadline to submit for the Games for Change Awards is Friday, March 23 at 11:59 PM EST.
Criteria and application here. All awards are competitive, and every submission will be considered for each category (with the exception of the Knight News Game Award). In order to qualify, you must submit a “game for change” with a release date of May 1, 2011 or later. Nominees will be announced on Friday, May 11. Registration for the 9th Annual Games for Change Festival is also live. To register: CLICK HERE.
The Gamified Classroom. Part I: The Unique Obstacles Teachers Face Today’s 21st century students are not like their parents’ generation. Never before have we, as a civilization, experienced such a large generation gap — and the reason behind it is video games. Within the span of only one generation the world’s dominant form of entertainment has shifted from passive (TV, Novels, Comic Books, Theater, etc) to interactive. This represents a fundamental shift in individual interactions with the community, and other segments of society are struggling to keep up. Today, students are expected to pay attention and learn in an environment that is completely foreign to them.
In the upcoming months we’ll be looking at how gamification can be used effectively in schools to help students feel engaged by their lessons. The fact remains that engaged students are better students. Lastly, there is one overriding factor that we must take into consideration when we discuss gamifing a classroom: budget. Andrew R.