Video games and connections

I admit it. The boys spend a lot of time playing video games.

Sometimes they play "educational" games, and it is easy to imagine that they are learning important skills from the games. But many times the games they play are "just for fun", and it is easy to imagine that the boys are wasting. a lot. of time. After all, what could they learn from games like Legend of Zelda, or Jewel Quest, or Fossil Fighters, or Zoo Tycoon, besides hand-eye coordination and how to escape from the "real" world for, it seems like, days at a time?

"I will bet you quantities of cash that there are untold connections in your child's mind when he's watching his favorite shows and playing his favorite games. Just because an interest doesn't take off and take tangible form doesn't mean it's not real. Just because you're not seeing a physical manifestation of his intellectual life doesn't mean there's nothing going on." - Deb Lewis, as quoted at Radical Unschooling.

Connections. What do you mean connections? What kind of connections?

What I see, when I watch my boys play, is that they are learning. They are learning about maps, and how to use them to navigate a three-dimensional world. They are learning vocabulary and to recognize the spelling of words. They are learning how to solve problems - from "what strategy should I use to defeat this opponent?", to "how do I solve this puzzle?", to "what do I need to do next?". They are learning to help each other. They are learning to break complicated tasks down into manageable parts. They are learning about Greek mythology, and zoology, and paleontology. They are learning about story line and characterization and drama. They are learning about music, and how it can be employed to convey emotion.

These things they are learning will be used later, in conversation, or in analysis of a story, or in real- life navigation. They will have an idea how to approach difficult problems in real life, too, because they have practice solving difficult problems in games. They may recognize an image in a painting or in a photograph, or a word in different context. These are connections, connections which can reinforce concepts, or lead to further exploration. This is learning.

For more on video games and learning, check out this article by psychologist Peter Gray, or this book by author Mark Prensky.