PAX East – Learn Through Play! How Video Games Can Have a Positive Impact on School, Community, and Learning
PAX East is hosting a large variety of panels this year on a large variety of topics. One of those topics is the value of video games in education. While many people might see games as a distraction from education, gaming and education can work hand in hand. The panel “Learn Through Play! How Video Games Can Have a Positive Impact on School, Community, and Learning” demonstrates how games can be incorporated into the world of learning.
PAX East and Education
According to the official PAX East site, the panel involves teachers, students, and parents sharing “their experience of applied learning where video and board games are part of the everyday tools in the teacher’s toolbox. The site claims that “games help lessons become more accessible to students of different abilities, languages, and backgrounds.”
The Panelists
The panelists are all from Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School, consisting of the principal, a technology teacher, two students, and two parents. The inclusion of students and parents shows that the panel cares not just about how teachers present their curricula, but how parents and students respond to the learning experience. The students can also offer unique perspectives that might not always be apparent to the teachers and principals.
Gaming and Education
Many of us remember playing edutainment games such as The Oregon Trail when we were kids. However, the application of games to education goes beyond edutainment games. Strategy games can improve students’ critical thinking and planning skills. Simulation games teach about resource and money management. RPGs and other story-focused games promote empathy, and co-op games teach about teamwork. Even old-school arcade games can improve reflexes and teach students to keep going after losing a life.
Conclusion
The world of games in education is a vast topic to explore and develop. The PAX East panel seeks to help people celebrate the application of fun in learning. After all, if students are having fun, they are more likely to remember the lessons they learn.
