Education versus Exploration

One of the hardest things a gamer has to hear is that games aren't educational and that they are a waste of time. Gamers never hear this from each other, but only from people who don't play games or don't "get" them.

But what is it about games and education that people just don't get? Why are people constantly trying to rope in games and gamers to fill this strange void that they feel exists between education and virtual exploration.

When I say the world virtual, I'm instantly reminded of the movie The Lawnmower man, where Job, a hapless, semi-retarded gardener is befriended by a brain scientist neighbor and awesome virtual reality fun is had by all. Not realizing it himself, Job is transformed into a super intelligent being. He rips through a boatload of digital knowledge on CD-ROM and learns more in 12 hours than most people will ever learn in a lifetime put together. Then he goes on to try to take over the world by ringing all the phones at the same time.

Well, intelligence isn't perfect.

Our brains are constantly tested with todays new games. The old Atari games of ol' were not very difficult to wrap your brain around, but it takes a decent memory and excellent hand/eye coordination to play games today. 16 button controllers and virtual worlds that span hundreds of city blocks. Playing a game to complete a task no longer involves eating four ghosts but instead saving up money to buy virtual houses or run complete microcosm theme parks. Traversing virtual cities using gps maps and objective compasses. Using cooperative strategies to slay monsters with people from all over the world.

Games aren't educational because their results can't be tested in the real world on pen and paper using outdated comparisons. Gamers aren't smart because there is no gamer I.Q. test to measure their aptitude. And video games aren't instructional because there are no uniform specifics on how objectives are detailed and missions are accomplished.

Gamers are smart people. They are crafty and cunning. They work hard to figure out a task and break the boundaries of the "world" to do so. Even in games, players aren't confined by their digital programmed settings. Gamers learn from their mistakes and progress to the next level.

One day the world will understand that games don't have to be violence and sloth encapsulated on monitors and expensive consoles. They can be smart, curious, demanding and patient teachers through virtual training. But the most important thing is that they exist in a form for some reason or another that we are deeply drawn to. Our imagination is only by matched by our emotions and games may be the one thing that excite those traits that are often held back and keenly watched in the real world.