COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES

Computer and Video Games

Marc Prensky introduces the radical technological growth of our  World in his book “How Learners have Changed” http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Ch2-Digital%20Game-Based%20Learning.pdf

 Following him  I would like to refer to  the Armenian environment and see how this developing country has grown technologically during the recent years and how it is reflected in the TEFL environment. Our younger generation is quite handy with technologies.  During these last two days for example I was watching on TV how Armenian young learners created various computer games http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93_7COJi9sw . All of them were rewarded by Orange Company. Or let me take my own children. They are all the time busy exploring new things on the computer. If I want to play a game on Ipad or any other device I need to know the instructions, read about it, see how it works. It  certainly takes time. But my children  try them out immediately and easily find how to play, how to win and boast. This is one side of the picture. The other side is quite disappointing. Most teachers at Armenian schools are still unable to integrate technologies into  their classes because they are technologically illiterate. Also, I have heard them complaining a lot that technologies, especially games only harm the learners.They say, games are always noisy and disturb their classes.  There is always the tendency to calm the learners down. I agree that children may sometimes try to play threatening games which  makes  them become psychologically depressed or simply very aggressive as  my son usually does when he imagines himself to be the hero of the game he plays. But on the other hand  he learns a lot. These games are quite useful. Learners learn a lot by  playing. They do not have to sit and follow the classes nervously to learn something. I have such students at EEC that become motivated only because they hear  that they are going to use a computer.  For such students especially it is a requirement to offer computer or video games as a learning tool. Our task is to keep our children and learners away from dangerous games but with the same time integrate many other useful games into our reality to make the English Language classes more  and more interesting.  I can hardly create any computer game by myself to introduce it to my learners but I’m quite capable of choosing the games my learners need and use it to meet their requirements.