wtscils598x08

...then more libraries should be circulating games.

I generally agree that there is some educational merit in computer and video games. As a long time gamer myself, I do spend hours -- sometimes without sleep -- in front of the console and PC trying to unravel a maze in a role-playing game, or conquering territories in Civilizations and Romance Of The Three Kingdoms. I've benefited from this process in the ways that Johnson described in his book.

However, I have to admit that the educational and literacy merits of some games are not obvious. I'm not a games researcher, but apart from the benefits of hand-eye coordination, it's hard to see any intellectual merit in a game such as Tekken where players engage in virtual arm combat with one another. The choice of games is thus an important consideration to libraries and educational institutions that are thinking of incorporating games into library services and the school curriculum.

I once interviewed a high school in Singapore that got its students to play Microsoft's Flight Simulator during physics classes on speed, velocity, acceleration and projection. The students told me that the game helped to improve their understanding of physics concepts tremendously.

Many library gaming services, however, tend to focus on multi-player games that promote community bonding and the fun factor. These games are usually played on more family oriented consoles such as the Nintendo Wii. For now, the educational benefits of games seem to be a secondary concern in many gaming programs which are really just about attracting teens to the library.

If educational institutions and libraries wish to harness the educational merits of gaming, they would have to consider strategy, role-playing or simulation games, which aren't common in library gaming services, and perhaps start circulating more of these games.