"For instance, in the Mario Kart racing video game series, players who are further back in races will often receive more helpful items than players who are towards the front..." (Eichenbaum, et al., 2014)
Video games can be effective teaching tools. They can teach us about technology, but also about storytelling and aesthetics. They can also foster a sense of self confidence and teach us physically through eye hand coordination. There are several aspects of video games that are positive, and they can be utilized through creation of games as well as through the playing of games. I feel that self confidence is one of the most important things a person can have. Art often is an outlet for emotions and can also provide a rewarding feeling when we feel we have success. Video games can have the same effect, and can be combined with art education to redefine how we see the world of game play.
The quote above resonated with me because I thought of the time in my life I used to play video games in my younger days. Although I am not convinced that the games I played were modified necessarily, I did have experiences of playing and losing quite often to my fellow video game playing friends. After a while, I played and started to win. I was not aware of the game getting easier for me, and I believe that my hours of playing probably resulted in me getting better at the game, however, if I had been playing a more current game, I may have had a bit of help from the programming itself. This would have resulted in a quicker delivery of satisfaction, and perhaps for some people who were not as persistent as myself, a greater desire to continue playing and not just give up. This more or less false sense of self confidence could lead to the real thing, especially in younger players. Although I believe in hard work, I also feel that some help can be beneficial in getting over that initial sense of inadequacy. It's not that they are unable, but rather there is a need for players to have confidence in themselves to know they can complete a task, no matter how simple.
I feel this happens a lot in art classrooms, and the result is often that students give up on art making in general. During the middle school years, children tend to feel the worst about their abilities, especially in more traditional art making practices such as drawing. Having alternatives to art making using newer technologies can even the playing field for a lot of these students, and give them that boost of confidence to stick with art and perhaps eventually come back to more traditional methods once they know they have a strong foundation of newer media techniques to fall back on.
Reference
Eichenbaum, A., Bavelier, D., & Green, S. C. (2014). Video Games: Play that can do serious good. Retrieved from: https://webcourses.niu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5043803-dt-content-rid-37831815_2/courses/20182-ARTE-343-----1/Eichenbaum%2C%20A.%2C%20Bavelier%2C%20D.%2C%20%26%20Green%2C%20S.%20C.%20%282014%29.pdf