U.S. Survey Finds Use of Digital Games Increasing in K-8 Classrooms

Playing games in school

Use of games by elementary and middle school teachers in the U.S. is on the rise, according to a short article on GOOD Magazine’s website that points to an interesting study that was just released:

About half of elementary and middle school teachers say they use digital games at least twice a week with students, while nearly 70 percent say that games help students who are struggling with reading and math and 60 percent say gaming helps them personalize their instruction and meet the needs of all students.

The study was undertaken by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, and full results are available on their website. One item that I found particularly interesting concerns barriers to implementing games in the K-8 classroom:

The number one obstacle teachers cited to integrating digital games into the classroom is cost. The second most reported obstacles cited in the survey are lack of access to technology resources and emphasis on standardized test preparation.

Hat tip@tiltfactor; photo credit Judy Baxter