Framing Questions: Week 11

In the last unit, we discussed the relationship between education and interactivity. Video games have long been dealt a negative reputation to some degree, often labeled as a “waste of time.” However, the Wikipedia entries on video games alluded to the potential that interactive games hold to help students excel. When applying a humanities approach to game studies, what are some of the positive educational benefits of interactive entertainment? What are some, if any, educational gaming initiatives/programs that have been launched, and how have they positively impacted the performance of students in the classroom? The Wiki entry on the video game industry points out that this is a growing industry, raking in billions of dollars a year as of 2004. Does the video gaming industry as a whole seem to be more focused on the economics of the business, or is there also an emphasis on manufacturing worthwhile games with an educational purpose?

Tags: education, framing, video games