To be perfectly honest, I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, from one point of view it makes sense. The games are written to be educational. I'm sure there's some entertainment value as well, but that's not really the point. On top of that, a video game can be pretty intensely immersive, so it seems like a great way to learn something, especially for people whose learning styles don't favor the tradition "sit and read about it in a book and then listen to an expert drone on about it", which I suspect is most people.
I think that there's real potential here if people would make some attempt to overcome their stereotypical views about games. Here's an example: a study done a couple of years ago found that 59% of teachers asked in the UK would consider using off-the-shelf games in the classroom as a teaching aid. (I know - the article used the word "fortnight". Try to get past it.) Of course the study was done by video games makers and required being taken with a grain of salt the size of a Buick, but still. A few paragraphs in, though, you get this gem:
More than 70% of the surveyed teachers felt that playing games could lead to anti-social behaviour while 30% of students believed that playing games could lead to increased violence and aggression.
And that right there is the problem. At least as of 2006, and I suspect that the same is true today, a lot of Americans (this was, as I said, in the UK, but I'm guessing the transfer rate is a high) really think of all video games this way. Every single title is about killing things. Every single game is about one person, sitting in front of a machine, blocking the rest of the world out, and shooting stuff. Forget about the fact that multi-player support is now one of the most important features a game can possess. Forget about all of the simulators, sports games, party games, dance games, music games, puzzle games, adventure games (my personal fave) and the like that don't actually involve violence in any way. Sheesh.
Of course others see things differently (hence the article that started this post). At least one professor believes that epistemic games can help children learn how to think instead of just drilling facts into their heads. I concur. One of my favorite parts of a game is looking at a situation and figuring out the best way to handle it. All the best games these days punish heavily for the old school run-in-with-guns-blazing mentality, and so long as Duke Nukem Forever remains vaporware (ten years and running, baby), I think they will continue to do so.
The trepidation I have is that the anti-video game freaks will look at this as evidence that playing a game is effectively training people to be killers. Frankly, I'm not sure how to argue with that anymore. The fact is, if I play a violent video game, nine times out of ten it's hardcore science fiction or fantasy. I got uncomfortable playing Batman Begins, and he just beats people up. I'm sure not everybody becomes as immersed into their games as I do, but I can't be the only one. So, for me at least, the simulator thing doesn't apply. On the other hand, should I become an irradiated behemoth with incredible strength or, far more likely, the zombie apocalypse finally comes to pass, line up behind me. I've been preparing for years.
Anyway, I think that we need to start looking at the potentially good uses of games in the classroom. Not for everything - basic math and reading skills still need to be taught through drills (although I'm sure someone could come up with a way to spice those drills up). If games could help people learn how to really think about a situation, examining things for themselves and making decisions based on real information, not just what some teacher told them and expects regurgitated on the latest exam, then I think we may be able to make some real changes for some people.
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