Games can help in education

We (at least, those in developed countries) live in a digital world, so why should education be so 'analogue'-as in old school? The specific point is, people need to rethink best means of delivering education is. Games can be effective; the question is, how effective, and what kind of games.

"We've organised our schools using methods from the Middle Ages,"

said David Shaffer of the university of Wisconsin-Madison, and author of How Computer Games Help Children Learn.
"The trend toward administering more standardised tests does not prepare children for a digital future."

Of course, no-one is talking about Doom and such in classrooms. They're talking about new-gen infotainment games. In a game designed by an Indiana University associate proffessor, players assume the role of investigatorslooking to find why fish are dying in a park. Theories are offered, such as excessive logging, and players share data and compare hypotheses. Does that sound interesting enough? It probably depends on how the game is executed, including such things as visual feel.

The idea behind the exercise-research into which millions of dollars are being poured-is that games are engaging, so students will play them. Like they'd play Doom. Can this new crop of educational games hold as much interest?