What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy

A controversial look at the positive things that can be learned from video games by a well known professor of education. James Paul Gee begins his new book with "I want to talk about vide games--yes, even violent video games--and say some positive things about them." With this simple but explosive beginning, one of America's most well-respected professors of education looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. Gee is interested in the cognitive development that can occur when someone is trying to escape a maze, find a hidden treasure and, even, blasting away an enemy with a high-powered rifle. Talking about his own video-gaming experience learning and using games as diverse as Lara Croft and Arcanum, Gee looks at major specific cognitive activities: * How individuals develop a sense of identity * How one grasps meaning * How one evaluates and follow a command * How one picks a role model * How one perceives the world This is a ground-breaking book that takes up a new electronic method of education and shows the positive upside it has for learning. "[Gee is] a serious scholar who is taking a lead in an emerging field."--Scott Carlson, Chronicle of Higher Education "Am I a bad parent for letting [my child] play video games at 4? Not at all, according to Gee."--Jim Louderback, USA Weekend Magazine "Rather than be reined in, today's successful game designers should be recognized as modern masters of learning theory..."--Mike Snider, Cincinnati Enquirer "...an astoundingly insightful manifesto on teaching and learning..."--Michael Hoechsmann, McGill Journal of Education "Gee astutely points out that for video game makers, unlike schools, failing to engage children is not an option."--Terrence Hackett, Chicago Tribune "Gee...says the most challenging games prod players to push the boundaries of their skills and to adapt..."--Shannon Mullen, Asbury Park Press "These games succeed because, according to Gee, they gradually present information that is actually needed to perform deeds."--Norman A. Lockman, USA Today "...Gee suggests that...schools...are 'in the cognitive-science dark ages.'"--Jeffery Kurz, Meriden-Wallingford Record-Journal "...'good' computer games...use critical learning principles to quickly teach kids to play extremely complex virtual reality games."--Norman Lockman, Jackson Clarion-Ledger "[Gee is] one of the worlds leading educational experts."-- The Observer James Paul Gee is one of the most well-known professors of education in the United States. He teaches at Arizona State University and is the author of several books. Used Book in Good Condition