Lots of Learning Going on Behind the Scenes

Video games are a part of our modern culture, and thankfully they are here to stay.

It’s been proven that living out fantasies within virtual environments has a calming effect on our natural basic instincts. A bit of game playing fantasy is good for keeping us all civil, and it’s a lot more fun than staring at the TV.

So effective is computer gaming in taming the savage human beast, that youth crime violence figures drop sharply when much awaited console game releases take effect. But this is not the only benefit of gaming.

Computer/console gaming can be used to teach people, as well as to allow them to express their fantasies. The fact that gaming is fun is a big help for the fact that learning is often dull. But the medium of gaming is far from dull, which means the two may be joined in harmony.

One of the greatest things is that younger people are often unaware that they are learning anything at all while playing. Most youths were unaware of thermonuclear stockpiles until they played Metal Gear Solid. In addition, some young people were not even aware that there was a world war before playing Medal of Honor.

The following are some brief descriptions of what can be learned from some of the more popular games today.

SimCityEdu

The Sim City games are great for teaching us about economics, demographics, population management and administration. However, the EDU version goes even further than these classic games, by teaching people about STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in a virtual environment. They are good at teaching people the finer points of the STEM subjects to the point where, even if they end up going in a different direction and writing services reviews, or becoming a chef, they will still not regret learning the things they learned via SimCityEdu.

Minecraft

This is a game that is popular, in part, because it is very addictive and allows for learning in a variety of subjects along the way. It gives people exposure to educational subjects such as math, history and physics, in a way that you simply cannot get through watching soaps or having a drink down at the local pub.

iCivics

iCivics teaches us that there is more to government than simply a president. It shows people how different departments are responsible for different aspects of government, and how a failure in one area will result in a mess in another. It also answers a lot of questions, such as what a person’s rights are. It will tell you all about government activities in a way that even top British essays cannot do.

Gamestar Mechanic

This allows you to get straight to the meat and potatoes of a game play mechanic. You can start by playing games, or move on to take a few courses and take advice from industry experts. You can make your own games with easy to use tools and a library of elements and sprites to use. You may also publish your games around the community where over a quarter of a million developers are waiting for you.

Platform Wars

In Platform Wars, the user takes on the role as a senior manager at a big gaming company. The game helps to show people the complex market competition that exists in today’s marketplace, and exposes people to the dynamics of competing for supremacy. It allows the user to interactively experience the cut and thrust of the market place, where simply lowering the price of your goods will not win you any prizes. It’s a strategy game that is eerily close to real life. Other games such as Theme Hospital, Theme Park or Oil Tycoon seem to sugar coat the truth, where Platform Wars does not.

World of Warcraft

This game is nothing short of a lesson in tenacity. You can spend hours upon hours building up a sprite from a level one loser to an avenging angel. It works on the human desire to progress in a measurable way, and may be a very good tool for helping people to realize that they may achieve their own goals in life. For example, some of the best UK essays are the ones that have been worked on and built up over a long time.

You may be offended when your boyfriend or partner spends hours on his computer, but it is keeping him out of trouble, right?  And it can also be a nice way to ensure that he’s relaxed. It gives him a chance to learn a little bit more about the world, rather than choosing to watch hot girls fighting in monster trucks as he might if he did not play computer games.

Furthermore, as a parent, you can choose to have your child play games that are educational and fun. For example, the Medal of Honor games mentioned earlier, do give some very true facts about the world wars, and teaches people about what really happened back then. It may give your child something to add into his essay on world history. For parents interested in scoring bonus points with their kids, buy the games that have secret teachings within them, and your child will think that you are the best!

Emily Lucas is an experienced freelance writer and blogger. Her areas of interests are very wide, but she primarily writes for educational websites and blogs. Her aim is to share her ideas with young audiences and provide useful tips for education and private life.  Follow Emily, or check out Top British Essays for more about Emily.

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Assistant Ed: Tawny Sanabria/Ed: Brianna Bemel