Ed Tech Talk

Guitar Hero and Other Video Games: Is It a Stretch to Call Them Educational?

Today’s students are flocking to video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Do they have educational value?

At a technology seminar that I attended in Dayton this week, two teachers gave an interesting presentation about integrating video games into math instruction. While this might not seem earth-shattering, it was interesting that the game they used was Guitar Hero.

For those who aren't familiar with this video game, a player uses a wired or wireless guitar controller and plays notes that match notes to popular guitar songs that appear on the television screen. My 13-year-old son and his friends have fallen in love with this game, which currently has four different versions with about 180 different songs.

I love the nonviolent nature of Guitar Hero as well as the music that harkens me back to my high school days. I also appreciate that my son and his friends are developing music appreciation skills.

In the technology session that I attended, the presenters converted math problem sheets into opportunities for their students to learn math skills while taking a turn playing Guitar Hero. I found it an interesting approach to educational gaming, as I have found that educators more often attempt to re-create games for the classroom instead of integrating popular games.

I then wondered if some teachers might use gaming as a reward for performance, as an alternative to integrating such games in their lesson plans. The presenters said their districts purchased more than 10 gaming systems for classroom use. All because of Guitar Hero? While I think it is a great game, I worry that educators might not look past performance-rewarding issues instead of really challenging themselves to apply popular games to engage their students both in and outside of the classroom.

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