Perceived Benefits Gained From Online Game Playing among University Students in Bangkok

Abstract

Although presumed negative aspects of online game playing are widely disseminated in the media, the possible benefits that might be derived from this appear much less frequently. Possible benefits include the reduction of stress, promotion of analytical skills and team-work and the fostering of relationships with other people around the world. Using a specifically-designed questionnaire, the authors investigate the extent to which a sample of 610 Thai undergraduate students from a variety of universities in Bangkok feel that they have benefited from online game playing and which of the various benefits appear to them to be most relevant and most often achieved. The results are discussed and recommendations drawn to incorporate greater use of game-playing modalities into the classroom environment and to enhance the link between education and industry by fostering partnerships to create more location-specific Thai-language content for use in the education system.

Keywords: Online games, Online computer games, Computer game industry, Online education, Benefits of games