Highlights- Study finds teenagers
who play online games score better in school
- Facebook and
chatting sites lower grades
- Online gaming
could play a role in sharpening skills
Technological
advancements form the basis of modern teaching methodologies but the latest to
facilitate better grades is not a new method of web based teaching or an app
but online gaming.
Online gaming has received its share of flak for its addictive nature, forcing parents to enforce restrictions on the time spent on online games. A new study, however, could be a turning point for the way online games are viewed.
‘Improve puzzle solving skills by playing games online.’
"When you play
online games you're solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves
using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading and science
that you've been taught during the day" says Associate Professor Alberto
Posso who is from the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT,
Australia.
Program
for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The data for the study
was obtained from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which
was used to test maths, science and reading skills of 12,000 Australian 15 year
olds. Data was also collected from the online activities of these students to
understand their online behavior.
The results of the study
would surprise parents and thrill students as the researchers recommend
including online games into teaching methodologies. The results of the study
showed that students who played online games
- Scored 15 points
higher in maths
- 17 points higher
in science
This could largely be
attributed to the fact that online games have different levels that gamers need
to solve, this increases their puzzle solving ability and encourages them to
think analytically, promoting better grades at school.
Unlike regular
television, students are not merely subjected to long periods of stale
entertainment but are involved in calculated problem solving in the form of
mazes, puzzles and the movement through the carefully designed online gaming
portals.
Pew Research Center
report for 2015 showed that
- 49% of Americans
played video games.
- 10% considered
themselves to be gamers.
- Men and women are
equally likely to play
The authors suggest that
online gaming should be included in the curriculum, avoiding the violence that
sometimes may be associated with some of them. This will come as a pleasant
surprise to school children who enjoy a good game online.
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Though online gaming is
found to aid in school grades, another online craze, social media like Facebook
and dating sites have been found to adversely affect scores. This could be due
to the distraction they provide to studying and the long hours spent on these
sites. The authors of the study also suggest that Facebook should also be
included in the curriculum as children enjoy using them.
Reference:- Gaming and Gamers - (http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/gaming-and-gamers/)
Source-Medindia