Abstract:

The Modern Technological pace of our times necessitates the utilization of the products of modern technology, which are produced, developed and traded at a rapid pace, by the educational process. The incorporation and utilization of many of these products in schools, particularly in recent years, influences directly this very educational practice.

The utilization of computer and video games in education constitutes today a complex and controversial issue. On the one hand, the role and significance of the use of electronic games in the creation of an environment of informal education for children is continuously confirmed, adding important dimensions to the way they think and feel, while on the other hand educators belong to a generation which, in its vast majority, is completely ignorant of the processes.

The present paper attempts to explore issues related to the utilization opportunities of computer and video games in the educational process. It initially mentions the basic structural elements of electronic games, in the categories that exist until today, as well as the elements that make them especially attractive to children and young people. Following that, it discusses the educational dimension of computer and video games, approaching its potential to support the educational process whilst taking into account the educational needs of this “digital generation”. It also attempts to examine the theoretical and methodological infrastructure that electronic games can have and cites the results of surveys relevant to the educational utilization of computer and video games. It further discusses their effectiveness as a learning tool and gives indicative examples of games which can be incorporated into the learning process. Finally, it mentions some basic realisations, requirements, challenges and prospects of computer and video games.

This paper encourages the notion that the logic of certain electronic games, with which students seem to be quite familiar, could be utilized – under certain conditions – in the learning practice and learning process in general, offering interesting opportunities – extentions to the conventional ways of teaching and learning.

Keywords:

computer and video games (cvg), education, learning theories