Online Gaming Found to Increase School Grades

Highlights

• Study finds teenagers who play online games score better in school
• Facebook and chatting sites lower grades
• Online gaming could play a role in sharpening skills

Technological advancements form the basis of modern teaching methodologies but the latest to facilitate better grades is not a new method of web based teaching or an app but online gaming. Online gaming has received its share of flak for its addictive nature, forcing parents to enforce restrictions on the time spent on online games. A new study, however, could be a turning point for the way online games are viewed.

"When you play online games you're solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading and science that you've been taught during the day" says Associate Professor Alberto Posso who is from the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT, Australia.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The data for the study was obtained from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which was used to test maths, science and reading skills of 12,000 Australian 15 year olds. Data was also collected from the online activities of these students to understand their online behavior.

The results of the study would surprise parents and thrill students as the researchers recommend including online games into teaching methodologies. The results of the study showed that students who played online games

• Scored 15 points higher in maths
• 17 points higher in science

This could largely be attributed to the fact that online games have different levels that gamers need to solve, this increases their puzzle solving ability and encourages them to think analytically, promoting better grades at school.

Unlike regular television, students are not merely subjected to long periods of stale entertainment but are involved in calculated problem solving in the form of mazes, puzzles and the movement through the carefully designed online gaming portals.

Pew Research Center report for 2015 showed that

• 49% of Americans played video games.
• 10% considered themselves to be gamers.
• Men and women are equally likely to play

The authors suggest that online gaming should be included in the curriculum, avoiding the violence that sometimes may be associated with some of them. This will come as a pleasant surprise to school children who enjoy a good game online.

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Though online gaming is found to aid in school grades, another online craze, social media like Facebook and dating sites have been found to adversely affect scores. This could be due to the distraction they provide to studying and the long hours spent on these sites. The authors of the study also suggest that Facebook should also be included in the curriculum as children enjoy using them.

Reference:

1. Gaming and Gamers - (http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/gaming-and-gamers/)

Source-Medindia