Video Game Education: Studi e Percorsi di Formazione

The book review examines "Video game education. Studi e percorsi di formazione," an Italian volume edited by Damiano Felini, which seeks to challenge lingering prejudices that portray video games as isolating or violence-inducing influences on teenagers. Its central thesis is that video games can serve as meaningful tools for education and personal growth. The publication is divided into two sections: "Studi," which offers theoretical perspectives on the pedagogical function of games, and "Esperienze," which presents practical activities already implemented as well as potential future approaches to video game education.

The authors identify several educational benefits of video games, including the development of skills and abilities, the stimulation of creativity and imagination, exposure to situations that mirror real-world challenges, decision-making practice, and the transmission of societal values, whether positive or negative. The book argues that adolescent dependence on games often stems from players treating them as purely recreational objects rather than understanding their underlying structures. Felini proposes an evaluative framework covering narrative structure, game mechanics, spatio-temporal dimensions, user-interface interaction, technological aspects, and production processes, positioning games as complex multimedia artifacts.

The review notes the book's accessibility and its reliance on workshops conducted with parents and university students, in which participants created original games to understand production processes. It also critiques weaknesses in age-rating systems such as PEGI and ESRB. The reviewer concludes that the text is a valuable resource for both specialists and newcomers, while questioning how effectively video games can be integrated into the traditional Italian school system.