Author: Games help children learn

By Jaime North
The Danville News

December 04, 2007 05:58 am

— 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.
"Those games are marketed toward an older population, just like some books and movies are," Mr. Kapp said. "To paint with a broad brush and say all (video) games are bad, because they influence bad behavior and kids are wasting time in front of the television, isn't sensible."
Three credible sources have supported Mr. Kapp's position by identifying video games as a new avenue to teach children in the classroom.
"The National Science Foundation, Federation of American Scientists and the Entertainment Software Association have all said video games should be in schools, because they teach skills not consistently taught by teachers," Mr. Kapp said. "When playing video games, a child is solving problems, making rapid decisions and can be working together with a teammate.
"These things are taught schools now, but not a lot. Teachers today spend more time on individual needs and fundamentals. The question is how to get kids beyond the fundamentals."
Additionally, Mr. Kapp says the new trend of online gaming is actually helping young people develop skills that are attractive to potential employers, particularly those in the corporate world.
"As well as teaching aspects of teamwork and problem solving, video games put players through a series of fast cognitive processing," Mr. Kapp said. "The new online component is adding another level to this process by bringing together people who have never met before.
"Can I trust this person? How do I best communicate with them? These are valuable skills corporations want in their employees."
According to Mr. Kapp, studies have also shown that video games develop visual skills, enabling people to better recognize changes in their visual field. Many businesses, including the military, have jumped on the bandwagon and started using video games to train employees and troops, Mr. Kapp said.
"This is especially helpful for certain job areas, such as tank operators, where the inside of the tank is much like a video game with no access to real people," Mr. Kapp said. "One ice cream company uses a game where trainees have to pull levers testing their skills in determine how much ice cream should come out.
"If you pull too much, the company loses money. If you pull too little, the customer gets mad. The game helps teach the company's philosophy. It really cuts down the learning curve."
Cisco Systems Inc. is one national business that uses video games, Mr. Kapp said, using a game system to train its employees on how to set up networks.
"This is definitely a growing trend," Mr. Kapp said. "People who have grown up playing video games are now in the workforce. We need to wrap learning around what this generation knows how to do, which is video games."
Mr. Kapp said he hopes his book can give parents a better understanding of why their children enjoy video games so much, as well as see how effective video games can be as a learning tool.
"It would be good for people to see that learning can occur outside the classroom," Mr. Kapp said. "We don't have to line people up in front of a person dictating a lesson. People can learn through other fashions."
For more information on "Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning," visit Mr. Kapp's blog at www.karlkapp.blogspot.com.
P E-mail comments to jnorth@thedanvillenews.com.

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