DANVILLE -- There may not be a more popular Christmas gift wish of youngsters than a video game.

With thousands of choices in titles and several game systems to choose from, parents have countless opportunities to pick the perfect gift.

But pundits often say it's waste of time, claiming videos games warp children's minds, breed laziness and promote too much fantasy.

One local man says that's not the case.

In fact, he believes video games can offer a new way to educate children and even help train adults.

Karl Kapp, a Bloomsburg University professor and Danville resident, sheds new light on how video games are opening the door for learning with his new book "Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning." It's the third book he has written on the integration of technology and learning.

"A lot of people who talk bad about video games haven't played video games," said Mr. Kapp, who teaches in the department of instructional technology. "I don't believe all video games are good, but they're not all evil. I just hope this book gives them a new perspective of what video games are about."

The idea for the book came to Mr. Kapp during a calm evening at home watching his two sons, 10 and 13, play video games. It wasn't long before Mr. Kapp notice the thrill of gaming.

"I saw how engaged they were in the game," Mr. Kapp said. "Then I thought about all of the clients I had saying how boring e-learning was to them. I wondered if there was a way to merge the two together -- the engaging nature of the video games with the potential of online learning -- and how powerful a tool it would be."

Mr. Kapp says video games provide many opportunities for a player to develop better communication skills, problem solving techniques and improve hand-eye coordination.

A good example is playing the Wii Sports games for the Nintendo Wii System. Mr. Kapp said the bowling game is one of his family's favorites.

"One thing you have to consider is problem analysis," Mr. Kapp said. "The game also helps with pattern recognition by throwing the ball and switching direction. There are a lot of different things I can do with the ball. The game does a great job teaching players how to think simultaneously."

Mr. Kapp said even the first-person shooting games, such the popular Halo series for the Xbox system, helps promote learning and improve cognitive skills.

"A lot of these games get a bad rap," Mr. Kapp said. "They also help with problem analysis, reacting to different situations, and cooperation with teammates."

According to Mr. Kapp, it's unfair to view all video games based on the negative publicity of a few, such as Grand Theft Auto for the Sony PlayStation system.