Research: Using video games to get kids interested in learning
Though some might see video games as a distraction, a recent study from the University of Georgia suggests they can actually serve as a place to practice key science skills—with the help of some adorable cats, of course.
Along with a team of designers and programmers, UGA researchers created a video game to help elementary schoolers learn about anatomy and health and develop their reasoning skills. The game, Virtual Vet, took seven years of testing and three versions of the game to figure out what worked best for young learners.
“For kids to access this content, you have to support their math and literacy. And that was not our original game design,” said Georgia Hodges, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor in UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education. “Our original game design was science, science, science, but what we learned is that you have to support math and literacy first. Then have them practice analyzing and interpreting data. And then you get to the science learning.”