From Public Education Network:
SCIENTISTS SAY VIDEO GAMES CAN RESHAPE EDUCATION
Scientists call it the next great discovery, a way to captivate students so much they will spend hours learning on their own. It’s the new vision of video games, reports Ben Feller. The Federation of American Scientists, which typically weighs in on matters of nuclear weaponry and government secrecy, has declared that video games can redefine education. Capping a year of study, the group called for federal research into how the addictive pizzazz of video games can be converted into serious learning tools for schools. The theory is that games teach skills that employers want: analytical thinking, team building, multitasking and problem solving under duress. Unlike humans, the games never lose patience. And they are second nature to many kids. The idea might stun those who consider games to be the symbol of teenage sloth. Yet this is not about virtual football or skateboarding. Games would have to be created and evaluated with the goal of raising achievement, said federation president Henry Kelly. There’s already an audience: More than 45 million homes have video-game consoles. Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, said there will soon be 75 million Americans who are 10 to 30 years old — an age bracket that grew up on video games. “We would be crazy not to seek ways to exploit interactive games to teach our children.”
Here’s the URL:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003309887_videogames18.html
