While we usually try to minimise the amount of time our kids spend playing video games, new research shows that there could be some great benefits to being a keen gamer.
A study carried out by the University of Glasgow found that gamers learn a desired set of skills known as “graduate attributes” such as communication, resourcefulness and adaptability.
These skills are ranked highly as desirable skills in college graduates by employers.
Critical thinking is another important skill desired by universities and employers and researchers say the way video games are designed can improve critical thinking and reflective learning.
"The findings suggest that such game-based learning interventions have a role to play in higher education," said Matthew Barr, a lecturer in Information Studies and author of the study.
"Graduate attributes are those generic skills such as problem-solving, communication, resourcefulness or adaptability which are considered desirable in graduates, particularly where employability is concerned.”
Researchers assessed two different groups of undergraduate students, one of which was a control group who did not play the video games. They used self-reporting measures to measure levels of “graduate attributes” in the students.
Participants in the gaming group were asked to play video games over the course of eight weeks. Students had access to a video game lab on a drop-in basis between 9am and 5pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Participants were asked to log 120 minutes of gameplay on most of the games – with a slightly lower amount for certain games. They were asked to complete a total of 14 hours playing eight different games over the course of the study.
One interesting aspect of the study was that participants played entertainment games rather than educational ones.
Popular titles such as Borderlands 2, Minecraft, Portal 2, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Warcraft III, Reign of Chaos and Team Fortress 2 were among the games played in the study.
Although the study involved a small sample size of only 40 students due to drop-outs, researchers still noticed significant results.
Researchers found that while 40 percent of the participants in the control group showed improved resourcefulness during the study, that number more than doubled to 80 percent for the game-playing group.
Mr Barr admitted that while his research might not be what some parents would like to hear, there is evidence to suggest that playing video games can have benefits for kids.
"This work demonstrates that playing commercial video games can have a positive effect on communication ability, adaptability and resourcefulness in adult learners, suggesting that video games may have a role to play in higher education," he said.
What do you think mums? Let us know your thoughts.
