This is a radio show episode that explores using computers (but really games) to teach kids. The guests on the show are really brilliant people that understand what games are and what education really means, and how they obviously work together (games producing “embodied empathy for complex systems”). The host, however, is a bit skeptical, and honestly a bit annoying.
But can it really replace or even effectively supplement traditional learning? Or is this just a way to amuse children, masquerading as learning?
Games are learning. Sure, they can be used to just dress up content or try to make it more engaging without deep educational value (ironically, what most of edutainment is), but if you understand games, you know that playing a game is learning how a system works.
Anyway, I’m really glad games are finally understood and explored seriously in academia. Otherwise, there probably wouldn’t be such smart guests on this show, influencing the masses with a real understanding, not just shallow anecdotes (like most of the callers).
