"Yes" according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) (based on a one-year study of whether video games might improve education in the nation’s schools). Among the reasons given rae the appeal of repeatable and student-paced lessons, compelling visual elements, engaging/complex plot structures. According to the report these elements help to "engage the player in strategic thinking, multitasking, and problem-solving. These skills are not only desired by U.S. employers, but are crucial in a global workforce."
Further supporting their claim, the NAS gives the following real-world example: "in a study consisting of 12 surgeons and 21 surgical residents, Dr. James Rosser, Jr., and colleagues at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York correlated video game skill with laparoscopic surgery skill as assessed during a simulated surgery skills course. 'Surgeons who had played video games in the past for more than three hours per week made 37% fewer errors during the assessment, were 27% faster, and scored 42% better overall than surgeons who never played video games,' the study’s authors said. Research has also shown that playing video games can improve eye-hand coordination and visual attention."
The following links are also included in the NSTA article:
More Video Games, Fewer Books at Schools?
Reuters
Federation of American Scientists Supports “Edu-Gaming” in Schools
NSTA Reports
Study: Video Game Skills May Help Surgeons
Science Daily
Action-Packed Video Games a Site for Sore Eyes
Scientific American
Opinion: Why Moms Give in to Video Games
Christian Science Monitor
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