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Jan 13, 2025
Benefits of video games in education continue to grow
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Many people believe that video games are just distractions, but the benefits of video games in education continue to grow.
Video games can actually boost your thinking skills and spark creativity, while helping with teamwork.
As a result, they are becoming powerful tools in schools, training centers, and online learning.
Konvoy, a venture capital firm that focuses on gaming, sees the connection between education and gaming as not only important for helping students but also as a good investment opportunity.
Let’s look into this further, and don’t forget to sign up for the best gaming newsletter in 2025.
Definitely.
Using games in the classroom makes learning more enjoyable.
How?
Video games give students a chance to learn through hands-on experiences, which is important for ensuring they genuinely interact with the material instead of just passively absorbing it.
But that's just one of the perks out there.
We have an article that discusses the benefits of video games.
However, the advantages they bring to education deserve special attention.
Video games can actually help boost some key thinking skills like problem-solving, memory, attention, and spatial awareness.
For instance, RPG games like The Legend of Zelda and Skyrim challenge you to remember maps, figure out puzzles, and make smart choices.
On the other hand, MOBA games like League of Legends make you think fast, adapt to new info, and team up with others.
These games kind of mirror real-life problem-solving scenarios, which can be really useful in school.
When used with the right guidance, they can help support critical thinking and brain development.
Online multiplayer games like MMOs and MOBAs are inherently social.
They get people talking, working together, and developing leadership skills, things that are important for today’s learners.
Teachers can bring that culture into the classroom by organizing a team-based game challenge that ties into schoolwork.
This way, students team up, just like they would in a job setting.
At the start of a project, students chat about their roles in the group.
They figure out what they’re good at and what their teammates excel in, then they assign roles accordingly.
When new challenges pop up during the game, everyone has to work together to tackle them.
This collaboration pushes students to back each other up and communicate well to achieve success.
One of the biggest struggles in today’s education is keeping students interested and involved.
Popular games really know how to motivate people with rewards, challenges, progress tracking, and some storytelling.
So, educational platforms have started to borrow those ideas.
Take Flash games, for instance.
These simple browser games have been popular in schools for introducing educational tools.
They come with quizzes, puzzles, and simulations that make learning fun.
When learning is gamified, students tend to stay engaged longer and actually retain the information better.
Video games create safe spaces for all kinds of learners.
With features like adjustable difficulty levels, visual and sound cues, and helpful interactive guides, students with neurodiversity can learn at their own pace.
Even some indie games focus on emotional learning, building empathy, or addressing anxiety.
This makes gaming one of the most inclusive ways to support different teaching styles.
Serious games and simulations are becoming a great deal in fields like medicine, engineering, and military training.
AAA games like Microsoft Flight Simulator and Assassin's Creed: Discovery Tour mix entertainment with real-world knowledge, making learning a lot more engaging.
These games let players practice handling high-pressure situations in a safe environment before they find themselves in those situations in real life.
RPGs are also great for building soft skills like negotiation, storytelling, and empathy.
Some schools are even getting into blockchain games.
With blockchain, students can earn stuff like credentials, badges, or tokens to show they’ve completed courses or picked up new skills.
Educational games are projected to hit over $30 billion by 2030.
This includes gamified learning platforms, VR tools, blockchain credential systems, and AI-powered educational games.
With this growth, there's a big opportunity for investors as educational gaming is becoming a go-to way for learning, especially with more government backing for STEM programs.
Angel investors and venture capitalists are crucial in this space because many want to back major game developers working on school-related games, blockchain startups focused on decentralized learning, and game-based tools for schools and universities.
For instance, a developer creating a role-playing game to teach history might seek funding to build a prototype, aiming to roll it out in schools worldwide.
The benefits of video games in education are clear.
They grab students' attention, encourage them to dive deeper into the material, boost teamwork skills, and help them connect what they learn to real-life situations.
As the boundaries between entertainment and education blur, games are becoming the new textbooks.
For educators, students, developers, and investors, gaming is more than just play.
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