CGDD: Video Game Gameplay
The Relationship between Gameplay and Learning
I believe that there is a beneficial relationship between gameplay and learning as games are made for enjoyment purposes and mainly revolve around the individual player. Many games include aspects of problem solving and critical thinking, and even if the game isn’t directly related to school subjects, such as math games, it still stimulates the brain and makes the player carefully plan out their actions. This interactive style of learning is greatly effective for students as some people may learn better through visual learning rather than just sitting in a room listening to a teacher lecture. Because games are also designed for enjoyment, people can feel more fulfilled and motivated when playing, especially if they are trying to reach a specific goal. These goals go hand in hand with reward systems, where your progress increases, you get a certain item, and things like that. Many games also have multiplayer modes where you must collaborate with a team, which teaches people how to socially interact with others, communicate, and work together to inherently achieve the same thing. Other skills that can be enhanced and learned throughout gameplay are hand-eye coordination, reflexes, spatial awareness, and more.
Overall, the standard learning experience can be adapted to today’s technologically driven society in order to promote student growth and educational success. Learning can become more fun, engaging, and interactive if we utilize the sources of games. My intention is not to get rid of all traditional educational methods, but to rather incorporate more motivating and enjoyable factors for the learning experience.
Gameplay Examples
I think one prime example of a game you can learn from is Genshin Impact. First of all, there is a lot of reading and listening involved in its dialogue, and you must understand most of the storyline to continue the game. Then, there’s battles with monsters and bosses, which makes the player carefully select a team of 4 characters, each with their own respective abilities, and then they figure out how they will use each character’s skills and possibly combine them. There is also a feature where you assign items to each character, and depending on which collection it is part of, you can adjust them to enhance the strengths of your characters. While your character is exploring on the map, they must also solve puzzles that involve using elements to solve. For example, there are 4 torches placed around an area, but they are not lit, and there’s no directions on what to do with them. The player must figure out themselves to use a Pyro character (preferably one that uses a bow as a weapon) to light all the torches effectively. By doing so, a chest will appear, and you gain things like more upgrade items, gems, etc. Many aspects of Genshin can be tied with educational gameplay, as the individual experiencing the game may learn new things such as factual information offered within the game, develop their critical thinking skills and problem solving, reflexes, emotional intelligence, and more.
Another personal example of learning through gameplay is Minecraft. I’ve been playing Minecraft since I was around 6 years old, and although I didn’t realize it then, I realize now that I’ve actually learned a lot from that experience. For example, I learned simple physics of objects (although Minecraft doesn’t follow all the rules of physics), different materials, the materials needed for the creation of objects, biomes, and more. Minecraft was also what inspired me to try out new games, and piqued my interest in architecture (building things from my own creativity and selection of materials was extremely enjoyable). The game allowed me to express my own creative imagination, and explore a completely different world through a virtual lens.
Supporting Sources