Reality check: games at work

T+D, Feb, 2004

This just in! Games at work can benefit productivity and job satisfaction, according to a study by the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Scientists from the university studied the effects on workers of playing simple games such as Solitaire and Minesweeper. Employees could play up to an hour a day and choose when they wanted to play. Workers who played felt better about their jobs than those in the control groups.

Games can be used strategically, says one of the researchers. For example, Solitaire can be used to break up the day and give people's brain a break from job tasks.

The research is just beginning, and studies of larger groups will be forthcoming. There's no word yet on whether game-based learning provides the same benefits. Stay tuned, and while you're waiting, shuffle that virtual deck of cards.

* Source/BBC News

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