Video games are seen as entertainment and to some people a distraction from activities that are more important, but now we can see them as a learning tool. According to Scot Osterweil, Creative Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Education Arcade Initiative, games are a powerful learning tool when combined with other exploratory, hands-on activities and ongoing instruction from a teacher acting more as a coach than a lecturer.

“There are so many awesome games out there either just on the iPad or the iPhone that are just puzzle games,” said Aldo Pantoja, theater teacher at Regis Jesuit. “I think we have been scratching at the surface of having certain types of games or certain types of digital formats that can educate.”

This generation plays video games on a daily basis so why not use the very thing we use for entertainment as a way to educate.

Minecraft is a popular game that promotes imagination as players build various structures out of cubes. A version of Minecraft was created by teachers called Minecraft Edu where students are taught mathematical concepts including perimeter, area and probabilities as well as foreign languages. Even other video games that are not seen as educational still have the potential to be educational if used the right way.

“I think it is humorous that places are using Call of Duty: World at War to teach students about battles that were fought in World War 2,” said Pantoja. “What was it like to be a soldier during that time and so in that historical context that could be a very good way to learn.”

The question is if we should implicate this way of learning at Regis Jesuit.

“I think in certain departments yes and in certain departments no,”said Pantoja.

There are certain departments that could benefit by using video games for education but there are others that would just not work well with the curriculum. Departments such as English are examples of where video games would just not work as an educational tool.

In English, students are usually given reading assignments and most students have their books on the iPad but how many times do student get notifications on the iPad or have the desire to take a break and play a game.

“It is harder for us to retain what we are reading on a digital screen than if we read the material out of a hard copy,” said Pantoja. “Let’s take the Math department for example, if we continue to play these math games on the iPad or the device they are consistently using that is a great way for them to learn.”

There are pros and cons to this new way of learning but if it is used correctly by teachers and students alike this could be a revolutionary new way to teach students.