VIDEOGAMES: AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT A MEDIA EDUCATION PROJECT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Many studies say that video game play is beginning to threaten traditional home entertainment choices (especially television), posing a very real threat to other media revenue streams. The reasons for video games growth in sales and popularity can be credited to the growth in the popularity and the technical innovations in the mobile sector. Attempting to support videogames for education and learning purposes has prompted considerable attention over the last years. The great variety of digital games available has provided much for educators and researchers to explore, resulting in intense disputes that many games have benefits both in and out of the classroom for learners of primary school. Many games have been revealed as strong educational tools for their design as well as their effective implementation in the classroom. Thus far, research on the impact and outcomes of this pedagogy is somewhat limited, but promising. Further projects and evaluations are required to provide the support needed in order to encourage more teachers and schools to adopt these practices, and the early results are to be confirmed in further studies. Videogames are being increasingly used in initiatives to promote personal empowerment and social inclusion of disadvantaged children through learning and participation. This paper describes the research for the development of mathematical, linguistic and ‘soft’ skills, in the Academic Year 2014/2015 with 8 teachers and 75 students attending Primary School, 1st year, located in tough areas of Palermo. The project involves students and teachers, for 60 hours, who will experience a media education training methodology for the promotion of mathematical, linguistic and ‘soft’ skills.