Video games are often seen as “innovative,” “cutting-edge” or a “trend.”  However, the concept of using games to teach students has been around forever.  From spelling bees, to card games and board games, it’s well known that games are an effective means of teaching, due to the fact that when kids enjoy learning, they want to learn more. 

In his book The Game Believes in You:  How Digital Play  Can Make Our Kids Smarter author Greg Toppo explains:  “Teachers have long used pencil-and-paper games, cards, dice and board games to teach and reinforce key concepts.” But it’s not just board games, counting games, math tricks, or other games that have long been used to teach key concepts. 

Consider that the very first players of The Oregon Trail are now old enough to be grandparents, and you begin to understand that educational video games are far from a passing trend.

Similarly, in an article titled A brief history of computer games in the classroom,” author Rhys James Jones writes:  “While it’s tempting to see the gamification of education as a new development, there is in fact a long history of children using computer games to help with their learning—which goes right back to the 1970s.”

So, although many continue to advocate for and against the use of video games (particularly violent games), there is little doubt that educational games, including educational video games have the power to make learning fun for kids, all the while educating them, and nurturing vital skills needed to thrive in the digital age.  Toppo reiterated this sentiment in his book, asserting that “games give you a chance to learn at your pace, take risks, and cultivate deeper understanding.”  Later in his book he expounded, writing “What looks like escapist fun is actually deep concentration. What looks like instant gratification is, in fact, delayed gratification in clever disguise…What looks like a twenty-first-century, flashy, high-tech way to keep kids entertained is in fact a tool that taps into an ancient way to process, explore, and understand the world.”

At Game Learning, we are dedicated to putting the “fun” into the fundamentals of learning history.  We know that when learning is fun (and doesn’t feel forced) kids naturally want to learn more.

Game Learning’s educational video games helps foster a lifelong love of learning by engaging students in fun, from the get-go.

We spark imagination, which fuels ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness.

To play a demo of Game Learning’s educational video game, Roanoke: The Lost Colony, click here.

Game Learning educational video games transport players to pivotal moments in history, immersing students & players in historical subject matter by drawing upon their natural curiosity while nurturing soft skills, problem solving, and historical thinking. Contact us at info@gamelearning.com

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