5 Tips: How Video Games Help Students to Learn

Video games have become an indispensable part of everyday life. Children and adults both like to engage in playing on the screen, as opposed to playing outside. However, with the rise of screen time in children, many have noticed that playing video games can be counter-productive, so let’s set sail and see when playing video games is bad for you and when it can help students learn. 

Video Games Are Bad – Truth or Myth

It is true that very violent, first shooter games can have some negative effects on your child as it matures, but being able to explain to the child that the virtual and real-world are not the same is of paramount importance in making the child realize that violence is not acceptable. Furthermore, being able to direct the child into playing games that are educational or can help them learn more can have very beneficial effects on them. So our issue of how bad games are boils down to: 

1. Understanding what games are and what they are not, 
2. Making the right, age-appropriate choices when it comes to gaming, and 
3. Limiting their screen time. 

Critical Thinking 

Games can help your child improve their critical thinking. Studies have shown that some popular video games can improve your child’s decision-making speed, critical thinking as well as analytical abilities. Choose games that can nurture these traits in your young student and never repent. 

Improve Fine Motor Skills 

Since video games are always played on a keyboard of one kind or another, it is important to understand that playing video games can significantly improve a student’s fine motor skills. As games demand good eye-to-hand coordination, video games can improve a child’s ability to react and improve fine movement quickly. 

Improve Social Skills 

Multiplayer games often come with entire teams of people who can help you finish a mission faster. Being able to work as a part of a team in a video game can also be seen in real life, as your young student can transfer these skills to the real world and the classroom environment. 

Students who play a lot of video games are more likely to be able to delegate their tasks and form teams and study groups. They are also able to find an answer to the question ‘who can help with my research paper’ faster and score more in their studies. Study after study, the positive effects of playing video games can help improve your child’s cognition and social skills. 

Can Have Educational Benefits 

Some video games can also teach your children a variety of topics. History, biology, chemistry, and even physics can all be successfully taught by means of video games. This should not say that they are a substitute for an actual book and paying attention in classes, but every little bit helps when it comes to school. 

Improves Leadership Skills 

As your child’s social skills improve, so will their leadership skills. If your child is able to coordinate with other team players and to ensure the success of the team as a whole, these skills may prove to be very valuable in real life and in a classroom setting. The best examples are group projects and presentations where a group coordinator or leader of a kind is always necessary. 

Final Considerations

Truth be told, video games can take too much time from your child and negatively impact their ability to focus and achieve in academic terms. However, choosing video games that can aid your child and by making them understand the pros and cons of excessive gaming can aid your child or student develop critical thinking towards the games themselves and aid them in choosing what the best for them is. 

Ashley Carter

Ashley Carter loves pop music as well as the arts. When not listening to new American pop scene releases, she loves reading about art theory. She wants to work in Europe as a landscape designer. In the meantime, she frequents public gardens and finds a lot of inspiration in their seasonal hues.