How video games can level up the way you learn | Kris Alexander

TED Talks Education

2023/03/09

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

Video games naturally tap into the way we learn: they focus our attention and track our progress as we head toward a clear goal. Kris Alexander, a professor of video game design and passionate gamer himself, thinks the same elements should be used in tradi...

Highlights

What if the secret to more effective, engaging education lies not in traditional lectures but in the immersive world of video games? One educator’s journey reveals how gameplay mechanics can transform the way students learn, focus, and connect with academic content.

00:03

Using the teacher's voice as game soundtrack solved attention problem

03:31

Video games' multimodal design intensifies student focus and motivation

07:52

A 2022 study links gaming to improved cognitive abilities

11:48

Playing video games is linked to better cognition, faster reactions, and improved working memory.

Chapters

How playing video games during class changed one professor’s focus forever

00:00

Can gaming make learning more engaging than traditional lectures?

03:31

What schools can learn from game design about goals and feedback

07:52

Is your passion the key to mastering your future career?

11:48

Transcript

Kris Alexander: When I was in senior year of university, this was around 2004. I was in one of those classes where the teacher would read the slides word for word as part of a three-hour lecture. Oh, y'all know what I'm talking about? Okay, cool. I ended u...