Video Games as Digital Literacy

Steinkuelher, C. (2010). Digital literacies: Video games and digital literacies. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), 61-63.

In reflecting on if educators are selling video games short when it comes to learning, Steinkueler (2010) offered the anecdotal case of “Julio”, 8th grade student. Julio spent a significant amount of free time involved in video game culture, designing and writing about gaming. However read three grade levels below where he should be and was often disinterested and disengaged from school. Even when presented with game-related readings he still also did not excel. But when given choice in reading, he selected a 12th grade reading that appealed to his interests and managed to succeed despite the obstacles this reading presented him. Steinkueler (2010) argued it was the action of giving him choice to select something that appealed to his interest that increased his auto-correction rate and thus gave him persistence to overcome and meet the challenge.  Steinkuler (2010) opined that “video games are a legitimate medium of expression. They recruit important digital literacy practices” (p. 63) and as such may offer an outlet for the student, particularly disengaged males, to engage in learning that may otherwise be unmet through traditional structures.

The efforts the author highlighted Julio engaged in– writing, reading, researching for gaming — certainly suggest that video games may offer a way to engage between new and traditional literacies as Gee (2008) suggests.  However, this is but a single example and alone offers very little in terms of tangible data to rest any confirmed ideas about the important of video gaming in education. However, it does offer the notion of considering how video games present as new literacies which can open doors for expression of meaning and ideas particularly those who my feel marginalized within traditional curriculum plans and by those who consider video games a “waste of time”.

The appeal of the qualitative analysis approach to investigating how students view and experience the use of gaming with education is especially appealing given this case of Julio. Would he have seen that is outside activities were translatable into educational acumen? Would his teacher or parents? There is so little in this small single case study to say much but it does give one ideas.

Gee, J. Learning and Games. The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning. Edited by Katie Salen. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 21–40.