There is a huge controversy around whether or not video games are beneficial. While some view it as a sort of addiction that erodes individual’s (particularly kids) lives others regard it as a recreational source of untapped creativity and learning. No matter what stance you take, video games are making huge inroads in the world of education and we have already talked about this when we discussed Jame Paul Gee’s book What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. In today’s post, we go another step further in emphasizing the important role video games play not only in learning but also in improving brain function and making the world a better place. We are sharing with you these wonderful TED Talks that are featured in TEDs list “The Illuminating Benefits of Video Games“. These are talks to help you explore the transformative potential of video games. Enjoy
1- Gaming can make a better world, by Jane McGonigal
“Games like World of Warcraft give players the means to save worlds, and incentive to learn the habits of heroes. What if we could harness this gamer power to solve real-world problems? Jane McGonigal says we can, and explains how.”
2- How a video game might help us build better cities, by Karoliina Korppoo
“With more than half of the world population living in cities, one thing is undeniable: we are an urban species. Part game, part urban planning sketching tool, “Cities: Skylines” encourages people to use their creativity and self-expression to rethink the cities of tomorrow. Designer Karoliina Korppoo takes us on a tour through some extraordinary places users have created, from futuristic fantasy cities to remarkably realistic landscapes. What does your dream city look like?”
3- Your brain on video games, by Daphne Bavelier
“How do fast-paced video games affect the brain? Step into the lab with cognitive researcher Daphne Bavelier to hear surprising news about how video games, even action-packed shooter games, can help us learn, focus and, fascinatingly, multitask.”
4- How games make kids smarter, by Gave Zichermann
“Can playing video games make you more productive? Gabe Zichermann shows how games are making kids better problem-solvers, and will make us better at everything from driving to multi-tasking.”
5- A video game to cope with grief, by Amy Green
“When Amy Green’s young son was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, she made up a bedtime story for his siblings to teach them about cancer. What resulted was a video game, “That Dragon, Cancer,” which takes players on a journey they can’t win. In this beautiful talk about coping with loss, Green brings joy and play to tragedy. “We made a game that’s hard to play,” she says, “because the hardest moments of our lives change us more than any goal we could ever accomplish.””
6- Gaming for understanding, by Brenda Romero
“It’s never easy to get across the magnitude of complex tragedies — so when Brenda Romero’s daughter came home from school asking about slavery, she did what she does for a living — she designed a game. She describes the surprising effectiveness of this game, and others, in helping the player really understand the story.”
7- 7 Ways games rewrad the brain, by Tom Chatfied
“We’re bringing gameplay into more aspects of our lives, spending countless hours — and real money — exploring virtual worlds for imaginary treasures. Why? As Tom Chatfield shows, games are perfectly tuned to dole out rewards that engage the brain and keep us questing for more.”
