Post 3 – Game-Based Learning and Gender Differences and Violence
There are so many games that children play. I have watched my students play numerous games over the years during their free time in the computer lab. I do believe that there are gender differences in what my students play. I am on the fence about violence in video games. I also don’t think that age ratings make much of a difference.
On average the boys in my classroom play more action/violent games and the girls play more dress-up type games. Having said that, in the last few years I have seen a shift to more gender-neutral games being played by both my girls and boys. The games that both my boys and girls are playing are games like Minecraft and Firefall. There is something for both genders. Minecraft has building, spawning animals, and collecting for the girls, and building and fighting zombies and Endermen for the boys. Firefall has customizable male and female warriors, there are many quests to choose from, players have to strategize, and the graphics are amazing. I think what makes these games in particular attractive to both boys and girls are the choices of what they choose to play within the games. For example, in Minecraft they can choose to build or to fight. They don’t have to do both. I think that game developers are on the right track, especially with games like Minecraft, where they are attracting both genders. I asked my students what they thought about gender differences in videogames. I received comments like: “We like stuff that both boys and girls can talk about and do together.” and “I think girls like the prizes and boys want to work hard for it.”
Part of me is not ok with the bloodletting; however, another part of me realizes that these types of games are out there just as there are things on TV that may not be appropriate for children. I feel that it is all about our communication with our children as teachers and parents. We cannot protect them from all of the bad things in their lives. We need to be able to have open conversation with them about things that may not be appropriate. Are there parents who allow their children to play videogames that are toYes, there is one boy in my grade three class whose parents let him play games like Resident Evil. I think there is a difference between bloodletting games and games like Minecraft. Even though as the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that children who are exposed to violent videogames become desensitized to violence and may become more aggressive. I find this interesting and I certainly am not going to argue with research, but the boy in my classroom who plays a lot of violent videogames is not aggressive by any means, however, I do have a young man who does not play violent videogames who is aggressive. I realize that this is probably not normal, but I thought it interesting nonetheless. I did ask a few of my students about videogames. Some of the comments that my students made about the violence in games were: “I don’t think it is really killing in Minecraft because I think it is like them just disappearing, no dying.” and “I don’t like games with blood, I like more action.” When I asked my students if they would still play Minecraft if is showed blood and stuff, they said no, they would not want to play it then. Of course these are grade three students and I can not speak for older children, but it was heartening to know that they were not interested in the “bloodletting”, but in the action. We do not allow violent videogames to be played at our school. Having said that, I wonder what
As far as putting age restrictions on videogames, I feel that it is a good idea so that parents can have some sort of gauge on the appropriateness of the game. However, some of these games, like Resident Evil, just ask you to put your age in and then you are good to go. Well…anyone can put in any age they want. I know children who have signed up for Facebook at the age of nine or ten. What good is an age restriction/recommendation if there is no way to monitor or check up on the person who is signing up for the game? I believe that there should be some way that can deny under-aged people from accessing certain games.
In conclusion, I found it interesting that the boys and girls in my class want to be able to play the same kinds of games, so they can have something in common to talk about and do together. I like that there are some games that are blurring the gender difference gap. I also believe that like anything in life, we need to guide our children to make appropriated choices. There also has to be some monitoring of the kinds of videogames some young children are playing. Do we try to bubble-wrap our children and protect them from everything? That is not realistic, nor will that help them to learn how to handle choices, and dealing with unsavory things that may happen to them in life.
References:
Children and video games: Playing with violence. (2011, 03). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 91, Retrieved from http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/Children_and_Video_Games_Playing_with_Violence_91.aspx
Infrographic:How Videogames are Changing Education – retrieved from: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/08/25/how-video-games-are-changing-education/
Infographic: Do Video Games Actually Work – retrieved from: http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/10/23/do-educational-video-games-actually-work/
There are so many games that children play. I have watched my students play numerous games over the years during their free time in the computer lab. I do believe that there are gender differences in what my students play. I am on the fence about violence in video games. I also don’t think that age ratings make much of a difference.
On average the boys in my classroom play more action/violent games and the girls play more dress-up type games. Having said that, in the last few years I have seen a shift to more gender-neutral games being played by both my girls and boys. The games that both my boys and girls are playing are games like Minecraft and Firefall. There is something for both genders. Minecraft has building, spawning animals, and collecting for the girls, and building and fighting zombies and Endermen for the boys. Firefall has customizable male and female warriors, there are many quests to choose from, players have to strategize, and the graphics are amazing. I think what makes these games in particular attractive to both boys and girls are the choices of what they choose to play within the games. For example, in Minecraft they can choose to build or to fight. They don’t have to do both. I think that game developers are on the right track, especially with games like Minecraft, where they are attracting both genders. I asked my students what they thought about gender differences in videogames. I received comments like: “We like stuff that both boys and girls can talk about and do together.” and “I think girls like the prizes and boys want to work hard for it.”
Part of me is not ok with the bloodletting; however, another part of me realizes that these types of games are out there just as there are things on TV that may not be appropriate for children. I feel that it is all about our communication with our children as teachers and parents. We cannot protect them from all of the bad things in their lives. We need to be able to have open conversation with them about things that may not be appropriate. Are there parents who allow their children to play videogames that are toYes, there is one boy in my grade three class whose parents let him play games like Resident Evil. I think there is a difference between bloodletting games and games like Minecraft. Even though as the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that children who are exposed to violent videogames become desensitized to violence and may become more aggressive. I find this interesting and I certainly am not going to argue with research, but the boy in my classroom who plays a lot of violent videogames is not aggressive by any means, however, I do have a young man who does not play violent videogames who is aggressive. I realize that this is probably not normal, but I thought it interesting nonetheless. I did ask a few of my students about videogames. Some of the comments that my students made about the violence in games were: “I don’t think it is really killing in Minecraft because I think it is like them just disappearing, no dying.” and “I don’t like games with blood, I like more action.” When I asked my students if they would still play Minecraft if is showed blood and stuff, they said no, they would not want to play it then. Of course these are grade three students and I can not speak for older children, but it was heartening to know that they were not interested in the “bloodletting”, but in the action. We do not allow violent videogames to be played at our school. Having said that, I wonder what
As far as putting age restrictions on videogames, I feel that it is a good idea so that parents can have some sort of gauge on the appropriateness of the game. However, some of these games, like Resident Evil, just ask you to put your age in and then you are good to go. Well…anyone can put in any age they want. I know children who have signed up for Facebook at the age of nine or ten. What good is an age restriction/recommendation if there is no way to monitor or check up on the person who is signing up for the game? I believe that there should be some way that can deny under-aged people from accessing certain games.
In conclusion, I found it interesting that the boys and girls in my class want to be able to play the same kinds of games, so they can have something in common to talk about and do together. I like that there are some games that are blurring the gender difference gap. I also believe that like anything in life, we need to guide our children to make appropriated choices. There also has to be some monitoring of the kinds of videogames some young children are playing. Do we try to bubble-wrap our children and protect them from everything? That is not realistic, nor will that help them to learn how to handle choices, and dealing with unsavory things that may happen to them in life.
References:
Children and video games: Playing with violence. (2011, 03). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 91, Retrieved from http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/Children_and_Video_Games_Playing_with_Violence_91.aspx
Infrographic:How Videogames are Changing Education – retrieved from: http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/08/25/how-video-games-are-changing-education/
Infographic: Do Video Games Actually Work – retrieved from: http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/10/23/do-educational-video-games-actually-work/