Skills from games useful for job market and learning
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) recently published a report following the Serious Games Summit that concludes video games can provide skills useful in the job market. An excerpt is as follows: “The success of complex video games demonstrates games can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, and adaptation to rapid change. These are the skills U.S. employers increasingly seek in workers and new workforce entrants. These are the skills more Americans must have to compete with lower cost knowledge workers in other nations. Games and simulations can also serve as powerful hands-on tools for teaching practical and technical skills, from automotive repair to heart surgery. In addition, today’s students who have grown-up with digital technology and video games are especially poised to take advantage of the features of educational games.”
The challenge seems to be how to effectively leverage games for education and how to do it right. The FAS is asking for additional government funding for research in educational games. This news is another example of how educational games is finally starting to gain traction in academic circles. Click here to read the FAS games report.