Students Who Play Online Games Scored Higher In Math And Science.

For years, video games have taken the blame for everything from unfinished homework to distracted classrooms, but a large Australian study suggests the story may be more complicated than that. Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne analyzed data on more than 12,000 high school students from over 700 schools, drawn from a major international testing program that also asked students about their interests and online habits. Students who played online games almost every day scored about 15 points higher in math and 17 points higher in science than students who did not play. Lead researcher Alberto Posso, an economist, explained that gamers are constantly solving puzzles to reach the next level, which can call on the math, reading, and science they learned earlier in the day, and he noted that some games even require players to grasp ideas like basic chemistry in order to succeed.

The study also looked at social media, and the contrast was striking, since students who spent lots of time on platforms like Facebook scored about 20 points lower in math than students who rarely used them. Posso described this as the high opportunity cost of time, meaning those hours are not spent on activities that build problem-solving skills, though he acknowledged that some students may turn to social media as an escape when schoolwork feels hard. The researchers were careful to point out that the findings show a link rather than a cause, because students who already enjoy solving problems may simply be drawn to games, and supportive family environments could also play a part. Peter Etchells, a psychologist at Bath Spa University in the United Kingdom, agreed the connection is interesting but said researchers still need better ways to understand how and why people play before anyone can say what it really means.

Source:https://techfixated.com/students-who-play-online-games-actually-get-better-academic-results/