By Dylan Bradley/editor-in-chief
Video games should be a bigger part of every student’s academic career.
Games have become a small part of the education process since the invention of the computer, but they should be used for every subject in school.
Early math taught in the classroom can be further practiced through a game, such as Math Blaster, which uses repetition of concepts in tandem with a storyline to teach math.
The games shouldn’t stop with early math but continue on through high school and college. Anyone who has struggled with or dislikes math can use the games to make the learning process slightly less painful.
Video games based on historical fact already exist. Strategy or simulation games should be used in classrooms to teach history, government and social studies.
Sid Meier’s Civilization allows players to choose an ancient civilization and play a complicated version of Risk that takes players from the stone age to the space age.
Something similar to this could be developed to simulate specific civilizations. Remove the fiction and stick to the facts, and an educational game could emerge.
Science classes could be revolutionized with simulated solar systems and dissections.
It would be perfect to do simulated dissections instead of having to deal with actual embalmed carcasses. Cutting open dead animals belongs in veterinary school, not Biology 101.
Role-playing games already exist that allow someone to play as a character in a story-rich world, such as the Elderscrolls series, or The Sims, which allows players to simulate life.
Current games teach people how to cook. LeapFrog teaches children to read, and Math Blaster is still making math fun to learn.
These concepts should be expanded on and spread through all levels of education to give students an interactive and effective approach to learning.
