Games help English GCSEs? Violent video games increase aggressive thoughts?

[Matt D]

After the "muslim refuses to sell cigarettes" thread, here we have another thread linking to stories from my local tabloid:

From the front page a few days ago...

"War carnage theme 'helps writing skills' "

TEENAGE boys are playing a violent computer game in a bid to improve their English GCSE grades.

The game, Medal of Honor, plunges students into a virtual reality world where they become Allied soldiers landing on Omaha beach during the D-Day battles of the Second World War.

OMG! Medal of Honor! That is like, sooooooo, violent. BAN IT NOW!

Oh. Wait. Isn't it just a "12"?

Ooooh, it plunges you into a "virtual reality world". Awesome.


Anyway, if true, how the hell can playing Medal of Honor increase creative writing skills for GCSE English?

Rob Lowe, head of English at Saffron Walden County High School, who led the workshop, said: "We are putting them in a 'shoot them up' situation to make them think and feel emotions they can then channel into creative writing work. As a teacher and head of English, it is important to look at new ways to inspire students and get their attention to improve achievement.

Hey, my old school!


We didn't have games like that at school when I were a lad, certainly not for lessons ...

I was lucky to get a go of "Chuckie Egg" on a BBC during breaktime.



And now...


"Game studies raise concerns"


More of the usual BS about how playing games make you violent.

[Xaccers]

Who was it who had something like the following Pac Man homage as their sig?

If video games influenced people, everyone in my generation would be in dark rooms, listening to electronic music and eating pills, oh wait...

[Rob]

Interesting, Medal of Honour has a 12+ rating.

Having played the game, and indeed many others of the WWII period setting, I have often thought that I wouldn't be alive if it were for real. Whilst you know it is a game, it does also fill you with a level of admiration for what those guys were prepared to go through.

I can see how, properly directed, you might be able to encourage youngsters to think about the period and formulate coursework. A lot of it comes down to motivation. But I'd hope that this was only a small part of the overall course as gaming, for any child needs to be in moderation. There's plenty of other life education they should be experiencing too.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

Who was it who had something like the following Pac Man homage as their sig?

If video games influenced people, everyone in my generation would be in dark rooms, listening to electronic music and eating pills, oh wait...

"Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."
- Kristin Wilson, Nintendo, Inc., 1989.

Apparently she didn't even say it, another urban myth strikes