The rise of smartphones and tablets ushered in a new era for video games.
According to the 2022 report Essential Facts about the Video Game Industry, more than 215 million people in America play video games; that is two-thirds of the population of the United States. If you find those numbers shocking, then you may be part of that minority sector (the non-gamer population) who still believes video games are mainly played by children when, in fact, it is adults who play the most.
Within this video game explosion, a new body of research has emerged to explore the intersection of gaming and learning. We already know that visual arts can play a crucial role in learning, now some scholars want to find ways to harness the power of video games for educational purposes. That said, one of the challenges of conducting research on this topic is that many researchers are not "gamers" themselves; they see gaming from the outside without fully understanding its appeal, its artistry and its culture.
In this video story, we travel to the neighborhood of Prati in Rome to visit LUMSA.
We met Dr Maria Cinque and her doctoral student, Angelo Mirra, at this fascinating institution. Dr Cinque and Angelo are researching how video games affect people's values and soft skills. Angelo, who also pursues a degree in psychotherapy, is an avid gamer, cosplayer, and active gaming community member. Dr. Cinque, a prolific researcher and celebrated pedagogue, thought it'd be wise to channel Angelo's passion for everything video-game-related into a Ph.D. dissertation that could help us better understand how to use this digital, interactive, and entertaining medium to enhance the way we learn.
“If you're not engaged you lose any motivation. We have to think of our audience (students) and we have to have a joint/shared vision, which is THEIR vision. ”
Dr Maria Cinque
OTHER RESOURCES
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Check the following papers, books, and researchers.
ABOUT THE PEOPLE FEATURED IN THIS STORY
ANGELO MIRRA
Italian native from Salerno, studied psychology at LUMSA University in Rome. His interest in Freudian theory and psychodynamics led him to specialize in Clinical Psychology. Angelo has a passion for working with adolescents. He pursued a Master’s degree in Family Psychology and Child Protection at LUMSA University, focusing on young adults.
Angelo’s fascination with video games, their artistry, and narrative potential prompted him to delve into their educational value. He is currently in a Learning Sciences and Digital Technologies PhD program at LUMSA. Angelo seeks to contribute valuable insights to the scientific community and explore innovative ways to bridge gaming and learning. 🎮📚
DR MARIA CINQUE
Maria Cinque is an Associate Professor of Teaching methodologies and Special Pedagogy at the Department of Human Studies of LUMSA University in Rome. She is the Coordinator of the Science of education degree course and the Director of the Program for In-service Teachers working with students with Special Education Needs.. Her research focuses on coaching and creativity, technologies for teaching and learning, and talent development and management.
ABOUT THE HOST OF THIS STORY
ROMINA OLSON
Romina Olson is a photographer, videographer, and creative producer from Austin, Texas. Romina has over two decades of professional experience and has traveled the world with a camera to help tell a wide range of stories. She is the co-producer and host of Italchannel.tv, and a co-conspirator of the Education is Boring project. You can see some of Romina's photography work here, and you can see her in front of the camera in this popular video about the Italian community in Bryan, Texas.
MEDIA USAGE DISCLAIMER:
This video story is a non-profit educational effort; all media sampled and used conforms with fair use licensing (education). Several videos used are also in the public domain or licensed through Creative Commons Attribution.
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