Gaming and Learning: My Journey Continues in the World (of Warcraft)
In my previous blog post, I talked about how I first got into gaming and the role it played in my early learning experiences. Now, I want to continue that story and share how my passion for gaming continued to shape my learning and problem-solving skills in the years that followed.
When World of Warcraft (WoW) was released, I was immediately hooked. At first, I played with friends but soon found myself drawn to PvP and, when arenas were introduced, I was all about it. However, I never considered myself to be very good at games, and I think that's because I was always looking for shortcuts and end goal oriented. That changed with WoW.
I would watch videos on Warcraftmovies (can't believe this site still exists!) and read articles on different matchups. It was the first time I practiced mechanics and did drills suggested in the guides - this taught me how I can break down a skill into smaller pieces to make it more manageable to practice, but also give me the WHY behind it. I even created a schedule to fit in WoW practice and PvP times around my work and study times to maximize my time. These skills would later prove to be very useful in my life.
My learning in WoW was still game-based, but I tried to apply some of those skills to my everyday life. I worked on my peripheral vision and keyboard mechanics while at work. Well, it was still game-based, but doing it irl! It was a flip of an idea my dad showed me once when I was following him around with his cleaning jobs. I must've looked quite unenthusiastic (obviously, I mean I was cleaning some shop during my school holidays) and he showed me how I could use mopping like a basketball drill, killing two birds with one stone. To be fair it wasn't the best drill - he was saying that when I push the bucket on wheels to get the water changed and push it back, I can pretend I'm dribbling past a busy defence, making sure I keep low and weave. I added a little jump shot at the end, imagining I was pushing the ball up, going coast to coast and pulling up for clutch J. And by just getting my head into it, I did end up enjoying it more - not sure if it translated well to basketball, but for some reason this memory is something that I will probably never forget.
As life went on, WoW became more of a second home for me and my wife, who had been playing with me for years. We got married, graduated, got jobs, etc... and couldn't keep up and became casual players, but I still used my internet search skills to find guides on how to complete quests, bosses, dungeons, and achievements.
During my post-graduate degree, this skill came in super handy. I was able to dig out references and information without leaving my home and make it look like I borrowed books from the library. Later on, in my work life, people thought I was very tech-savvy because I was able to troubleshoot a lot of computer and IT issues at school, when really, I was just good at googling compared to them.
Looking back, I realize that gaming taught me more than just how to beat a level or conquer a boss. It taught me how to learn and problem-solve in a way that was fun and engaging. It taught me how to create a schedule and maximize my time. It taught me how to research and find information effectively. And most importantly, it taught me that learning can be enjoyable and that it's never too late to learn something new.
We took a long hiatus from WoW. We dipped our toes in here and there but never really got to commit enough time for it. My wife took on a higher level position and she was working non-stop and our son was still a little nublet. But every time we do revisit Azeroth, we reminisce the 'good old days' - all the battles, banter, adventures we had, forging friendships that many still hold strong even today. Recently we came back once again, for the Dragonflight expansion, convinced by an old friend we made in WoW over a catchup dinner. With our son being much older now and able to figure out most of the mechanics by himself, we reentered Azeroth once again, this time as a family.
So, to anyone who thinks gaming is just a waste of time, I say: you're missing out on a whole world of (warc... nevermind...) learning opportunities.
To end, here's a really cool talk about games and learning by the awesome James Gee.
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