The idea of applying games in education started from the impact of the computer games on people.
Being military requires a number of skills needed in any situation or type of military action and they can be acquired through training. But some skills can be obtained otherwise than classical manner, although it is obvious that the practice could not be replaced by 100%. Serious games can prepare a certain kind of skills in an attractive, efficient way and at low cost. One of serious games features is that they can be used as self-learning tools, as an environment where mistakes are not catastrophic.
The starting premise is that a skill obtained using serious games can provide necessary knowledge to action in a real experience. It is much easier and more convenient from all points of view to be created a game scenario that simulates a reality, especially when this reality is situated in a remote area of conflict than to trainpersons in a real field. In terms of costs and risks, using a training solution based on a games scenario is indisputable more advantageous. Using games in the military took into account all these advantages plus a number of specific advantages.
Another serious games characteristic is immediate feedback. Feedback motivates and stimulates action, even when it is negative. Players see the consequences of their actions and receive an instant response if they acted well or not.
From another point of view, using a game involves entertainment and enables the passion. For most people, serious games are attractive, exciting, a challenge to go to the game end. The so-called coefficient of passion (PQ) represents in what extent the passion is involving in acquiring new knowledge. Apart from this, appears the curiosity, both about what follow in the game and also how well you are able to lead to the end the game tasks. This is the coefficient of curiosity (CQ).Thomas Friedman, an American journalist and author underline that „passion and curiosity are key components for education in a world where information is readily available to everyone and where global markets reward those who have learned how to learn and are self-motivated to learn”. Also, for Friedman, sum of curiosity quotient and passion quotient is greater than Intelligent Quotient:
CQ+PQ>IQ
And more than curiosity and passion, in the military field, to learn the games rules, that means to accomplish the training task, can be the difference between being dead or alive, to survive and carry out the mission on the battlefield.
Regarding these issues, my challenge is to express your opinion in what extent the coefficient of passion affect people interested in serious games.