3. Risk Taking. Video games provide a far lower degree of failure and it’s consequences which encourage players to explore the environment, take risks and try new things. This concept is utilized in boss encounters, which forces players to utilize previously learned skills to attempt, perhaps fail, and then use those initial failures to determine the pattern of behavior and gain feedback. If a certain action or hypothesis fails, the player is compelled to re-evaluate the situation, and create a new hypothesis on how to solve the problem. Eventually, although it may take some time, the player finds an alternate solution and continues progression. Therefore it can be argued that in video games, failure is good as it helps facilitate alternate solutions to problems.


While I understand how some games can be useful in the classroom, I also feel that they can have negative effects. As stated above, they can lead children to take more risks which isn't alway a good thing.  Because you can always hit restart on the game young children don't always understand that there are consiquences to actions.  Also graphic violence and death can desensitize children and give them unrealistic ideas about life and death.  I am not however blaming video games on childrens poor behavior just stating that some can contribute to both the good and bad behaviors in children today. 

Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions