Problem based learning, or learning in which students solve real- life problems that are interesting and motivating drives critical thinking. Students are challenged to understand the issues as opposed to reciting material. The ability to memorize and recite, while valuable, is not the only measure of one's intelligence. I would argue that in today's workforce, which is driven by quickly evolving technology, the ability to think critically and problem solve is more valuable than any other skill. Being equipped with the tools to be a problem solver allows one to adapt and progress.
Recitation is impressive, but has little real world application
Gaming for learning is something that has been of great interest to me for some time. I am not a "gamer", but I do enjoy puzzles, trivia, and problem solving. I have at times found games based in these concepts to be not only engaging and even addicting, but beneficial to my mind. I started playing video games with second generation home systems such as Intellivision and Atari, but my real appreciation for video games came with Tetris on Nintendo. For some reason that puzzle game just sucked me in and never let go. Having suffered TBI, I find that puzzle and problem solving games keep my mind sharp. I believe in the ability of games to blur the lines between education and entertainment.
I am going to veer slightly off topic here for a moment as VR has been on my mind and I have questions one more enlightened may be able to answer for me. I have recently seen some upcoming VR games in which one is a role playing relationships with a computerized individual. Knowing that we have many online communities, are there yet any VR online communities? This seems to be the future of VR, an endless world in which two people across the world could have a cup of coffee on top of a mountain that overlooks the ocean at sunset or a couple sitting on the sofa in Alaska could tour the Louvre together. Certainly there will be advances, and as with most technology, it could be used to connect or disconnect. It will be interesting to see where this next incarnation of technology will take us.
Sources:
@. (2014). Simpsons World | Everything Simpsons. Retrieved October 01, 2016, from http://www.simpsonsworld.com/
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Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
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