Educational video games have come a long way. Game manufacturers are beginning to improve the quality of educational games, causing many educators and administrators to take notice. While it may still be awhile before the public sees online college courses start to incorporate the educational video game model into its fabric, these new advancements are still making some waves. ?They even seem promising enough catch the attention of private investors and public officials as developments take place and technology advances. Video and computer games first entered the classroom in the 1980s and 1990s.
These games typically had the most basic of graphics, even for their time, and a weak plot frequently interrupted with textbook-type problems. Some games from this era earned a good deal of notice, but many others did not, and as Stephanie Olsen with the New York Times explains, ?the educational games industry eventually collapsed because of price wars, misguided consolidation and an inability to keep pace with changes introduced by the Web.?
Game manufacturers have taken a renewed interest in the educational games market, however. As concern grows among parents and educators over the amount of time children spend gaming, enterprising manufacturers have taken the opportunity to design products that appeal not only to the students playing them, but also to concerned adults. These new games take a different approach to educational content, though. Unlike their predecessors, these games incorporate educational principles directly into the game-play. Olsen writes, ?the newest educational games are set up like services where children can enter a virtual world, try on a character and solve problems that may relate to the real world.? These games have story and graphic designs capable of rivaling standard market games, making them more enjoyable for players.
Even though some game companies devoted to the production of educational content already exist, these companies need further resources to continue expansion. Thankfully, private investors are starting to jump onboard. As Mark Hachman with PC Mag notes, Bill Gates gave a third of the $20 million he invested in online learning to the educational game industry. Approximately $2.6 million went to Quest Atlantis for the creation of video games that emphasize literacy, math, and science skills, while $2.6 million went to iRemix and $2.5 million went to Institute of Play for similar purposes.
Private investors are not the only ones interested in the advancement of gaming as an online education tool, either. Even the United States government has taken notice. Greg Toppo with USA Today reports that in September 2011, the White House hired Constance Steinkuehler as a senior policy analyst within the Office of Science and Technology Policy. There, Toppo writes, ?she's shaping the Obama administration's policies around games that improve health, education, civic engagement and the environment, among other areas.? Government officials hope to harness the potential of games for the purpose of education.
Video game technology keeps advancing forward. While many authoritative voices still express concern over the amount of time kids spend playing video games, many others also recognize the potential that gaming has for shaping online and offline education.
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