The Video Game Model Classroom. Of Course.

Here's a really practical article on the educational benefits of video games by neurologist Judy Willis.

  She makes three points about the educational benefits of video games.  The first is that students enter at their  achievable challenge level.  A player starts at level one and if that come easily to them, they quickly progress to level two and so on.   The difficulty of the task meets the player where they are.

  Secondly, video games give the player "incremental progress feedback" and subsequent useful corrective feedback.  When the level gets the player to tasks that are challenging, at their achievable challenge level, the brain is engaged and having fun.  Instead of the assessment at the end of the week or quarter, the feedback is immediate.  And it's safe; no one is watching you take risks, so you can be free to try a number of times.

  Finally, instead of money or accolades, the rewarded after hard work is harder work- the next level.  This is the ideal model in the classroom- that students are rewarded by their own success.  And it is so important because this reward is self-perpetuating, much more so than candy or other merits.  When we teach our students to trust their creativity and curiosity, we will have all the academic gains we hope for.


  How do we do this in the classroom?  Differentiation is one answer.  We can group students into cohorts of students with similar achievable challenge levels.  But we must find ways to show students the reward of harder work and greater challenges.  What are your ways?