Can we learn anything from video games?

My little one's teacher often tells me he can't concentrate in class. He is always up and about talking to his peers., He scores about average marks in tests and hardly likes to write. Mind you I am not worried. I listen to him with awe as he plays on the key board and his dry sense of humour keeps me smiling. He is 9 years old and came second runners-up in the video game competition , beating boys far older than him. I admit that I was proud but I did feel he was playing a bit too much at home. But then I got thinking.

What is it about video games that seemingly make kids more resilient to challenges and adversity than in real life classroom problem solving situations?

What makes them persevere through tasks even though it can be as difficult as solving a real life math problem.
Why don’t we necessarily see the same resolve and self-efficacy when solving a math story problem as we do when needing to conquer, say, a virtual war setting?

I wish my lesson plans caould be as interesting as those video games.
When I ask my kids why they liked them so much, they shrug and say, "Dunno."
Guess I have to figure it out myself!

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