Learning and Video Games

Abstract

Cinema, TV, and books are tools for learning. They are part of the twenty-first century culture but did not appear instantaneously, their history being short or long. All are not equally strongly associated with learning situations: the majority is linked to daily life. Let’s use an example. I recall a momentous occasion; the world cup final was being played between Spain and Holland. The match was broadcast on TV and the following day numerous reviews were written. In this case, as in many others, the game had the power to unite people and reflections upon it were present in multiple media forms. Is there anything to be learned from this situation? Listening to the radio while going to work, I found one answer, among many other possible ones: The speaker said that football is much more than just a game. The value of the idea of a game was not being undermined but empowered as an element within a certain culture. For example, in his opinion, football may represent many of today’s issues in society: among them, the presence of nationalisms, the market surrounding all player exchanges, and the social organization behind this, all of which promote championship organization. This speaker showed us that football can be a good starting point for studying many social phenomena.