Researchers: Even violent video games can be learning tools

Playing video games might improve your vision and other brain functions.

"People that play these fast-paced games have better vision, better attention, and better cognition," said Daphne Bavelier, an assistant professor in the department of brain and cognitive science at the University of Rochester. Bavelier was a presenter at a daylong symposium on the educational uses of video and computer games from NYU's Games for Learning Institute. The event was another indication that electronic games are gaining legitimacy in the classroom.

President Barack Obama recently identified the creation of good educational software as one of the "grand challenges for American innovation."