It’s a Good Time to Play
11 Oct
In today’s post, we hand the digital pen to Tim Hydari, Practitioner of Developmental and Therapeutic Play. Tim is a recognized expert in the field of play. In this post, he discusses the physiological and neurological motives for play, including addictive play. He then outlines the relationships between play and learning. We have excerpted his concluding statements on video games. You may read the entire article by checking out Tim Hydari on Play Therapy.
But what benefits can video games bring to its users?
It is well documented that video games improve skills such as spatial visualization ability, reaction times and hand-eye coordination. Young gamers that I have come across attest to an element of empowerment that arises from achieving success and eventual mastery of video games, where a high level of challenge is met with a high level of skill. The gamer finds himself so focused and immersed in this challenge that all energy is being channeled toward and aligned with the activity. Suddenly, in a culmination of electronics, human skill and determination, success! The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls this state ‘flow’, with components including focused concentration and motivation in an activity that has a clear goal and that is intrinsically rewarding. Being in a state of flow has been linked to overall well-being and individuation.
It is in this state that gamers appear to find the right balance between joy, success and self-esteem. For a game to be challenging the problems must be complex and encourage the gamer into exploratory action. Too easy and the player loses interest. Too difficult and the player becomes frustrated. When we link this to the Laws of Learning, we find that gaming in a state of flow has qualities similar to that of effective learning.
Flow in gaming is intrinsically motivating, which is part of the Law of Readiness (motivated students learn more). The immediate feedback received by the gamer (linking actions to outcomes) is also found in the Law of Exercise along with the importance of practice to promote mastery. Positive emotions that arise in the state of flow from the enjoyment of playing video games are also found in the Law of Effect (increased learning through positive feelings). Finally the intensity is linked to the Law of Intensity (intense experiences increase interest and learning). So gaming, under the right circumstances, is potentially an avenue towards tapping into people’s full potential as learners and can act as a facilitator to education. How can games with educational value be created to entertain whilst maintaining flow and what can we do to encourage gaming companies to produce these types of games?
Parents and educators should remember that however intense the stimulation is in children after a gaming experience, the arousal can be normalized by exposing them to physical activity, preferably outdoors.
- Tim Hydari
Image Available Under CC Licensure
Gaming has so much else outside of just the actual mechanics of ‘in-game play’- for example there is a real social benefit in the online communities and the sharing elements of discussion and relating each experience.
What about the learner who shares her gaming story as a part of some other learning outcome – this is also valid.
Good point on the positive social aspect of gaming Brendan. It’s so fascinating that gaming has a really strong impact on both ends of the social skills spectrum. While on the one hand it can mask and indeed aggravate underlying emotional and social difficulties by providing a platform for escapism, it can also invoke shared values and goals, which result in a shared understanding between people. This sense of community and social cohesion in gaming helps in the development of a person’s identity as well as their individuation. Building an educational environment through these communities and social interactions could well enhance learning.
This is a well written article, Tim. I especially appreciate the approach you took in writing this. As our society changes so do our norms. That being said I think its very relevant for you to focus on the benefits of play and education through video games.
“So gaming, under the right circumstances, is potentially an avenue towards tapping into people’s full potential as learners and can act as a facilitator to education.”
This line is the ultimate message behind the hope of using video games effectively to enhance education.