Video Games in Education: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used

Today’s K–20 students have been called, among other names, the net generation. As they matricu-late through the education system, they are often exposed to materials and manipulatives used for the past 40 years, and not to the digital media to which they are accustomed. As student scores continue to regress from Grade 3 to Grade 12 and technical jobs once housed in the United States continue to be outsourced, it is critical to expose and challenge the Net Generation in en-vironments that engage them and motivate them to explore, experiment, and construct their own knowledge. The commercial popularity of video games is beginning to transpose to the classroom; but is the classroom ready? Are teachers and administrators ready? This article provides a Leonard A. Annetta is an Assistant Professor of sci-ence education at North Carolina State University.