30 January 2012
Dr Paul Howard-Jones
Speaking at the Learning Without Frontiers conference in Olympia, London, on 26th January, Dr Paul Howard-Jones, Neuroeducationalist at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, suggested dopamine is the reason children love computer games. Dopamine is a chemical “which helps orient our attention and enhances the making of connections between neurons, which is the brain's basis for learning”, Dr Howard-Jones said.
We call it TWIG - teaching with immersive gaming...I teach several sessions of my postgraduate courses in education and neuroscience using this medium.
According to Dr Howard-Jones, this also explains why students learn more, and are happier to continue learning, when they are offered the chance of a reward rather than a guaranteed reward, because uncertain reward is thought to generate more dopamine in the brain’s reward system. This suggests a way in which teachers can harness the power of games in their lessons.
“We call it TWIG - teaching with immersive gaming,” he said, explaining that “I teach several sessions of my postgraduate courses in education and neuroscience using this medium.”
This high profile event also featured Noam Chomsky; the linguist, Ed Vaizey; a Conservative cabinet minister, Ellen MacArthur; round-the-world sailor, Ray Kurzweil; inventor, Conrad Wolfram; businessman and Jaron Lanier; virtual reality pioneer.
Related links
Read more about Dr Howard-Jones
Read a review of Dr Howard-Jones’ talk published in the New York Times
Read about Neuroeducational Research Network
Read more about the postgraduate programmes taught by Dr Howard-Jones:
MSc in Education, Technology and Society
