“Fun is another way of learning.” What a remarkable theory this is yet applies to our daily life more often than we think. Our brain always wants to perform at its optimum level. The subject could be math, chemistry, biology or any subject in the world. When the brain understands the material and becomes interested in moving forward, it stimulates the brain into having “fun.” When a subject, such as a game, becomes too easy or too hard, we tend to get bored since the challenge ahead of us is too much for us to handle or too easy to deal with. This is true for all genres of games, even with goal-oriented sports games. I have been playing NBA and NFL games ever since middle school. When the opponent is destroying me or I am beating them by a large amount, there is no “fun” anymore. However, when the score happens to be very tight and the game comes down to the wire, then the experience goes to a whole different level. Chemicals are indeed sent down my spine to stimulate my senses. The football field or the basketball court becomes a battle field. Even though I know the plays, it’s about finding the pattern to the play-calling and reacting to the situation. The brain constantly exercises its recognition skills and learns to react. The challenge, with countless variables, is enough to keep the game long-lasting as Koster has stated. The brain adapts so well from the practice that it makes decisions even without our knowledge. When this autopilot mode is reached, there is a need of implementing new variables. Recently this is where the gaming-industry is at its best. The industry might have figured out that even though games are “make-believe” or “imaginary” fields that exist in their own world, they are able to provide cognitive challenges, which the brain needs in order to have “fun”. RA
Videogames in Critical Contexts
HNRS 353 Spring 2010
At first I did not buy into Raph Koster’s belief that his life was “worthwhile” because he “connected with” and “taught people” through his work with videogames. I did not disagreed that his life career path could be compared with that of a teacher. Personally, I am inexperienced with videogames and was therefore unable to see them as providing an opportunity for a learning experience. However, as I continued to read and evaluate my own experiences, I truly came to understand and agree with the idea not only that “fun is another way of learning,” but also that learning is another method of fun. Because Koster was talking about learning, my mind initially went to my college classes. I realized that even though classes in subjects I have no background knowledge or experience with (such as videogames) require extra work and lots of time, I enjoy them much more than my classes where I already know the information being taught. This is most clearly demonstrated with my least favorite and most boring class semester, my Elementary Math class. Even though I have taken math classes through Calculus, I am being required to learn about fractions…again. Reading Koster’s explanation about the connection between fun and learning could not have explained my attitude towards that class any better. Even though I should love that class because it will be an easy “A,” I find it to be ridiculously uninteresting, and ultimately no fun. This is because, Koster explains, there is no new data to interpret, therefore no new pattern. Whenever patterns cease to exist, boredom results. In contrast, the more patterns, the more learning, and, in the end, more fun accompanied by the desire to keep playing. Video games present many new patterns; consequently, providing an educational experience. As Raph Koster describes, “with games, learning is the drug” (40).
At first I did not buy into Raph Koster’s belief that his life was “worthwhile” because he “connected with” and “taught people” through his work with videogames. I disagreed that his life career path could be compared with that of a teacher. Personally, I am inexperienced with videogames and was therefore unable to see them as providing an opportunity for a learning experience. However, as I continued to read and evaluate my own experiences, I truly came to understand and agree with the idea not only that “fun is another way of learning,” but also that learning is another method of fun. Because Koster was talking about learning, my mind initially went to my college classes. I realized that even though classes in subjects I have no background knowledge or experience with (such as videogames) require extra work and lots of time, I enjoy them much more than my classes where I already know the information being taught. This is most clearly demonstrated with my least favorite and most boring class semester, my Elementary Math class. Even though I have taken math classes through Calculus, I am being required to learn about fractions…again. Reading Koster’s explanation about the connection between fun and learning could not have explained my attitude towards that class any better. Even though I should love that class because it will be an easy “A,” I find it to be ridiculously uninteresting, and ultimately no fun. This is because, Koster explains, there is no new data to interpret, therefore no new pattern. Whenever patterns cease to exist, boredom results. In contrast, the more patterns, the more learning, and, in the end, more fun accompanied by the desire to keep playing. Video games present many new patterns; consequently, providing an educational experience. As Raph Koster describes, “with games, learning is the drug” (40).