Video Games Used in the Education or as Exercise - Term Paper Example

Video Games Used in the Education or as Exercise Video games are often frowned upon by many as they are generally as nothing more than time wasters that do not benefit the participants in any way. Scientists however believe that playing video games actually alters an individual’s brain. According to research, playing video games alters the brain’s corporeal formation the same way as would be the case when one is reading or playing a piano. Research shows that employees can learn best through video games. They get to master skills faster, forget less and remember more which is the key to improving employees’ productivity and the overall productivity of the organization (Wolf, 2012). Video games are one of the many aspects that have affected how the generation of young people socialize and perceive entertainment. Today, ardent video game players are willing to pay a bill monthly to cater for their subscription to certain gaming services as anxiously as their parents wait in line to settle their bills. Despite the fact that video games have been there for over 30 years, it is only until recently that technology allowed for the transformation of video games into descriptive narratives and storylines. The total revenue collected by the video games industry has been estimated at approximately $15 billion. The game playing population falls between the ages of ten and thirty-four. However, the group is mostly made of teenagers between 14 and 19. Games are not just played and it stops at that; they are read about in gaming magazines, they are talked about among the gamers and furthermore, they are fantasized about. In addition, game players look for cheats online in order to up their scores and even alter the games to suit their preferences. Without people even realizing it, games have now become models for how most game players live their everyday life and for the formation of subjectivity and intersubjectivity. Video games have long been derided as a mere source of entertainment. However, according to research it is believed that incorporating video games into their training programs tend to end up with employees who are smarter, and highly motivated to learn more and retain the new knowledge. In the past, started designing video games based on a simple hunch that it could be beneficial if incorporated well into their training programs. They suspected that games could come in handy in improving the employee’s productivity although they could never actually prove it. Research carried out over the years finally made employers realizes that video games actually work. Furthermore, they have to understand why they work. According to a recent research carried by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), up to seventy percent of most are currently utilizing interactive software and games in training their employees. Furthermore, the results of the study also showed that about 75% of businesses and non-profits are already offering video-based training in their plan in order to expand their usage for the next five years and ensure their survival in the competitive market. Over three quarter of which is currently offering this technology are likely to keep them in place for the next five years. Some of the major uses of video-based training by major in America include: Customer service training IT training Management training Specific for specific job functions such as technicians. Seventy per cent of these training programs mainly tested employee knowledge and 55% included interactive role playing (Clark, 2009). In addition, the results of the study revealed that most employers who use video based training programs were actually satisfied with the results attained at the end of the training program. They further stated that some of the actual benefits of using the video based programs in training of the employees included: Reduction in the costs that would likely be accrued in terms of high employee turnover in the organization due to dissatisfaction with the working conditions and environment. Video-based training is faster and more efficient as compared to the past standard methods of training. This means that less time is spent on training employees to improve their skills, which ensures improvement in the companies productivity. With video-based training, the training method is consistent across all the departments in the organization. Unlike the standard methods of training which would require that a different training program is incorporated for each specific department in the organization in order to suit the needs of the employees. Video based training is fun in a way. This means that the employees are likely to be more willing to participate in the training program and actually learn something from the program. This further makes it easier for the program managers to easily measure the employee participation during the training. According to research, video based training is believed to improve retention of knowledge among the employees. This is crucial as it will ascertain that there is no further need for training hence inevitably saving the organization the costs associated with carrying out further trainings in the organization. The demand for video games training for employees is currently becoming quite common among most companies globally. Managers are constantly in search of new ways in which to train their employees that are both effective and compelling than the standard training techniques that are incorporated in most companies. The reason as to why video games training are becoming quite popular is because employees find them to be more engaging as compared to the traditional methods of training. Consequently, this will increase the chances of the employees actually taking the training program to the end and possibly retaining the information and concepts attained from the program as compared to an instance where the traditional training methods were to be used. In addition, simulation games will be beneficial in helping the employees acquire the needed physical and mental skills thereby become more effective in performing their assigned tasks at work (Fingerman, 2011). Various industries across the world are putting hi-tech gaming software towards some surprisingly productive uses. For example, Canon USA uses video games in order to train new copier technicians. The game is a “drag and drop”. In order to play, the technicians are required to drag and drop parts into the right spot on the virtual copier. Another popular company that incorporated video games into its training program is IBM. IBM came up with a program known as “innov8” which is a role-playing video game aimed at training students on both business and IT skills. In the hospitality industry, the Hilton Garden Hill came up with a training video game, which places the employees in a virtual hotel interacting with customers as they would in real life. This really helped in improving how the employees relate with the customers and the overall customer experience was improved. In addition, this resulted in improved productivity of the organization as a whole (Sommerville, 2007). In February 2013, it was reported that surgeons who frequently played games on the Nintendo Wii console were more skilled at performing keyhole surgical operations. For the research, a few resident surgeons were selected to play on the console for one hour daily for a full month. The outcome was an enhanced accuracy in their procedures. The training saw their accuracy improve up to 65% as compared to other surgeons who had only undergone controversial training. Basically, the skills necessary for a surgeon to carry out keyhole surgery are similar to the skills that one incorporates while using the Wii: hand-eye coordination, precision in movement, perception of depth and 3D spatial visualization while focusing on 2D on-screen images (Gee, 2004). Positive Effects of Playing Video Games (Hartman-Stein, 152) When employees play video games, it can be a considered to be a form of work out for their brains. Most video games require high levels of abstract and critical thinking. In most instances, these skills are not acquired in class. Some of the psychological skills that can be improved by playing video games include: Following instruction- most if not all video games requires one to follow certain stipulated instructions in order for one to successfully finish it. Failure to stick to these rules can result in one failing to successfully complete a game. Problem solving and logic- in most games, one ought to think creatively to successfully pass certain stages with high scores. Therefore, by playing these video games, employees get to learn new creative ways through which to solve problems within the organization and not necessarily go about it the expected way. Planning, resource managing and coordination – the gamer is required to plan on how to use the limited resources available, and decide on how best to use the resources, as would be in real life. This proficiency is notable in games such as SimCity, Mortal Kombat and other similar games. In addition, according to the creator of SimCity, most of the people who joined the profession of urban planning and architecture were inspired by the game. Perseverance – when the gamers get to higher levels of the game, they are expected to fail many times before they can actually master the skill to pass the level. Failure is something that is expected in a person’s daily life although many people rarely take it so well. By playing the game and failing several times without giving up, the employees master the skill of perseverance and learn not to give up on situations as tough as they may seem. Situational awareness- most games requires one to be able to quickly analyze any sudden changes and react to them as quickly as possible in order to pass the level. This skill can be important especially for people in the army in recognizing any sudden changes in their environment and could help save their lives especially if the situation was life threatening. Most games incorporated will probably require the participants to work cohesively in order to defeat an opponent team. In a way, this will be beneficial in helping the employees to develop the team spirit and work together towards achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. Negative Effects of Playing Video Games (Andreas, 71) The main concern that most parents, employees and everyone concerned has with video games is the level of violence that is portrayed in the games. The result in most instances is that the employee is likely to develop aggressive thoughts and feelings that may lead them to consequently become antisocial, according to research. However, other researchers contradict this notion by purporting that most video players are well developed emotionally and can easily leave behind the feeling the video game created and go about their daily lives the normal ways. The truth of the matter seems to be that there will always be aggressive people; the fact that they enjoy playing video games should not be viewed as the reason behind the violence. Over time, as the employees play the games over and over again, they become addicted and start to stray away from their social life. It is not only their social life that will suffer from their addiction to video games but also their overall performance at work. It is not hard to imagine that the employees will opt to spend most of their time playing video games at the expense if their job productivity and end up neglecting their job requirements. This can be predominantly associated to the fact that they did not get enough sleep the previous night because they were up playing video games. In most cases, it can be notable that most gaming addicts are incapable of maintaining any good relationships. Often, this transpires because most gaming addicts are not capable of balancing they time they should put aside for gaming and the time they should put aside for interacting with friends, family and other workmates. Time management is a major problem with most of the employees who become addicted to gaming. As a result of the addiction, the employee may be willing to overlook the cost of purchasing new video games. They will continuously buy new video games or newer version of the games they already have, which will inevitably impact on their economic stability. According to recent research, although video games may improve the player’s short span concentration, it however affects their long-term concentration. This means that they are often likely to only focus for a short period and lose focus afterwards. The video game incorporated in training exercise of the employees should meet the requirements of the job. This means that the organization needs to carry out broad research in order to establish if or not incorporating the video game program into the training will actually benefit the organization in terms of improved productivity or not. Conclusion Although most people may not view video games as a controversial means of training the employees, when one views it from the perspective of the benefits likely to accrue to the organization, the negative effects seem to be still within our control. The competitive nature of the market has necessitated the need for organization to seek means through which to give it competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. Video game training has somewhat become a trend in most industries and any organization hoping to survive is safer going with the flow. If it works for other companies dealing in the same product or service, there is no reason as to why it will not work for all the other similar industries dealing in that particular product or service (Bredl, 2013). Works Cited Bredl, Klaus, and Wolfgang Bösche. Serious Games and Virtual Worlds in Education, Professional Development, and Healthcare. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2013. Internet resource. Clark, Neils, and P S. Scott. Game Addiction: The Experience and the Effects. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2009. Internet resource. Fingerman, Karen L. Handbook of Lifespan Development. New York: Springer Pub. Co, 2011. Print. Gee, James P. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York, NY [u.a.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Print. Hartman-Stein, Paula E, and Rue A. La. Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in Adults: A Guide to the Use and Development of Community Programs. New York: Springer, 2011. Print. Ma, Minhua, Andreas V. Oikonomou, and L C. Jain. Serious Games and Edutainment Applications. London: Springer-Verlag London Ltd, 2011. Internet resource. Sommerville, Kerry L. Hospitality Employee Management and Supervision: Concepts and Practical Applications. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2007. Print. Wolf, Mark J. P. Encyclopedia of Video Games: The Culture, Technology, and Art of Gaming. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood, 2012. Print. Read More