Yes, is the answer according to Dr. James Gee, Fulton Presidential Chair at Arizona State University. Dr. Gee shared his expertise during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 19.

“We tend to teach science, for example, by telling you a lot of stuff and then letting you do science. Games teach the other way. They have you do stuff, and then as you need to know information, they tell it to you,” he explains. Gee contends that games that are challenging allow for “pleasantly frustrating” experiences but are doable. “That’s a very motivating state for human beings,” he says.

I guess you have noticed in many blogs that educators are becoming more interested in the gaming industry. President Obama announced a campaign to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Several technology companies along with the Macarthur Foundation have launched a competition to develop video games for teaching science and math as a part of this effort.

Remarks Dr. Gee, “This type of learning that games do I call ‘situated learning’ because you’re situated in an actual problem-solving space. Situated learning can be done with or without a game. Good teachers have always done it.”

Source: Science Daily, March 2, 2010

Michigan State University researchers presented recently about the topic, “Tomorrow’s Scientists and Engineers,” at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  As you know the Obama Administration has increased the focus for STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or Medicine) careers.

“Failure to build and maintain a competitive scientific workforce in the decades ahead,” Dr. Jon Miller said, “will inevitably lead to a decline in the American standard of living.”  Dr. Miller kept track of nearly 6,000 middle school students through college.  His attempt was to determine what led them to or guided them away from a STEMM career.  “Only 4% of students who experienced low parent encouragement to attend college planned to enter a post-secondary program and major in a STEMM field,” he said.  “This compares to 41% of students whose parents strongly encouraged college attendance.”

Sons are more likely than daughters to do well in science and math.  Another interesting fact is that 27% of children whose parents attended college were more likely to enter a STEMM career versus 18% of children whose parents had a high school diploma.  Mathematics is the main gateway to a STEMM career beginning with the algebra track placement in seventh and eighth grades.

Source: Science Daily, February 21, 2010.