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Brief introduction on integrating education into online games
Written by, Daniel Aleksovski (CGE, Chief Executive)
A s humans we never stop learning. Each day we experience countless scenarios, each one helping construct who we are. Society has always imposed education within communities to ensure individuals are capable of making informed decisions. The term education is commonly entwined with primary and secondary schooling, whereby students engage in life long learning skills from the age of 5 to 18 years (this may vary from country to country). To be able to read, write, calculate, solve or identify indicates that you, as a sole individual, has learnt just a quantity of the key components which assist you to deal with various circumstances on a daily basis.In the 21st century the need for computers is forever increasing in society. Technology has become part of our lives and for many it would simply be unimaginable without it. As humans we have achieved numerous tasks which would have been considered unfeasible 100 years ago, such as the internet, gaming consoles, fibre optics, lasers and a great deal more. Several of us rely on this technology for tasks which we perform on a daily basis. We commonly associate technology with entertainment, such as your computer, plasma television, portal radio, iPod and much more. Society has always been changing and it is only natural for education to follow in its footsteps. Various developed countries around the world have successfully integrated technological aspects into their curriculums or education standards. Modern teachers in developed nations are also being encouraged to employ new and exciting techniques and strategies which cater for student needs in our forever changing world. The use of computers, laptops, projectors, smart boards and other technological equipment in classrooms has helped students grasp onto important concepts that are commonly observed in our daily life. 
In developed nations the amount of people owning or else using computers or laptop has significantly increased in the past decade. The idea of affordability in addition to mass production has enabled many households to invest in such sophisticated equipment in the hope of exploring the wider community from a remote location. In the year 2000 the amount of people in Europe who had access to the internet was documented at just over 105 million. This number in 2008 had risen to over 390 million that is a 271% increase in eight years (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2008). In Africa the amount of people who had admission to the internet was slightly in excess of 4.5 million. This figure has since risen considerably to more than 54 million, a total increase of 1,100% in only eight years (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2008). Evidently the amount of people who have access to internet has significantly increased in the past decade. The internet is continuously expanding moreover offering fresh sources plus material to all kinds of audiences in our world. While the internet has been forever expanding and becoming ever so big, so has another industry which has obtained a lot of interest in youth across the world. The online gaming world has become a huge success for many game publishers and developers. Over the past decade the amount of people, mainly students, engaging in online games has increased substantially across all nations. Online gaming has become ever so popular, primarily in young adolescent males aged between 12 and 18. The concept behind establishing an online game proposes that a single user from one remote location is able to connect into a virtual world (i.e. remote server) to commence ‘gaming’ with other users who are also connecting from remote locations. This method enables a user from France to enjoy a game or two with a user from New Zealand. Obviously each online game would vary from role playing fantasy games, first person shooters to real time strategy based games. In 2007 about one third of the internet community where engaged or had been engaged in online gaming (excluding gambling websites). These figures today have no doubt increased even further, which has worried many experts around the globe. 
As previously discussed, teachers and education departments around the world are forever trying to find ways in which new technologies can be integrated into student learning, to ensure each individual is equipped with the necessary skills required, within modern society. This leads us onto the next and important issue of, integrating education into online games. In other words, how can we further enhance student learning through online games? Or perhaps, should game developers along with publishers employ new strategies or techniques into their games to further develop student learning? For many experts the answer would be relatively apparent. Perhaps in the perspective of a game developer this is not a genuine concern, rather online gaming ought to be treated as a recreational activity for enjoyment. It is well known that most users who first interact with an online game commence at an early stage, during their middle years (between years 8 and 9). These middle years are a critical stage for student learning, however global figures suggest that learning becomes somewhat limited during middle school. Experts in various countries consider that during these middle years students are not learning to a large extent as previously observed. Rather the rate at which academic learning takes place during these middle years comes to a slow halt. The most obvious reason for this is simple, puberty. These students are undergoing some extreme physical and emotional changes and are beginning to explore new things which interest them, and not what the curriculum has to offer. These new and exciting events mean that these young adolescent people are learning other things that are of significance to them. Psychologists believe that the middle schooling process is responsible for shaping these individuals. The learning curve commences to ascend when students shift into upper or senior school (between years 11 and 12), as these years assist in identifying what students hope to accomplish in the wider community. 
No doubt that during these middle schooling years many of the students would engage in online gaming, whether it may be on a casual or part-time basis. Integrating aspects of learning into online games should be heavily encouraged by both the game developer and publisher. The purpose of integrating education into online games enables modern individuals to understand and grasp onto key concepts regarding important issues explored in the wider community. Potentially many developers have the power to incorporate aspects of maths, science and English into their games, nevertheless exploring and investing in such elements is generally discarded due to time scheduling, tight budgets and the lack of international and national gaming standards. The purpose of integrating aspects of education in an online game is relatively straightforward as it ensures students are under the influence of a constructive, yet cohesive learning environment, whereby ethical principles are portrayed productively in their recreational practice.  Brief introduction on integrating education into online games by Daniel Aleksovski is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Australia License. Based on a work at cgenetwork.com |
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