According to the report, research on digital media needs to be coordinated, and research and development needs to be initiated at federal and state levels. Innovative partnerships also should be created to help fund and stimulate creative networks that have varying levels of expertise. Support and guidance for children’s digital activities must be encouraged, and public media should be modernized to fit the needs and interests of kids living in the digital age. Finally, a broad public dialog about digital media and games should be started.
“In order to advance the cause of educational games, we should be wary of overreaching by claiming that games single-handedly teach the subject matter, at least in the way the word ‘teach’ is commonly understood,” cautions the MIT report.
“Games [promote] understanding, motivation, and enjoyment and are terrific at immersing players in complex, feedback-rich problem spaces. And while they are most often not sufficient in and of themselves for a course of study, they can help many students advance beyond the temporary memorization of facts and procedures, attainments that are usually lost when classes stop.”
Links:
“Moving Learning Games Forward” (PDF)
“Game Changer” (PDF)
Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester
The Brain Development Lab at the University of Oregon
National Center for Technology Innovation
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