One of the fundamental steps is to lead children from being pure users of video games, to unders tanding the authoritative and technological laws that underlie these works of genius, and then move on, as far as possible, to the study and use of author software for video games. These include software for three-dimensional modelling, digital animation and programming of video games themselves. The fundamental step is that which transforms the student from a pure user of video games to a connoisseur and even author; in this evolution, which the school can encourage, a large number of skills can be learned that will certainly be useful for the digital professionals of tomorrow.

Keywords: Electronic learning, Workers education, Video games, Artificial intelligence, Simulation games

The enormous economic success of video games, which surpasses cinema, must be fully understood. How can simple games attract such a high level of investment and such significant technological innovations? There's something serious behind video games. On the one hand, because the game itself is serious and has a lot to do with culture, as Johan Huizinga said in his famous analysis; the success of sport, both in ancient times and today, shows that the game has always had a great social importance. But in addition, video games are something different from games of the past. Their influence on contemporary society is still largely to be investigated. Using video games has to do with innovation and prepares us for the future; as happens in much of the animal kingdom, playing can serve to enable life. The experience of video games somehow fascinates us because it foreshadows the future daily experience in the era of artificial intelligence.

Familiarity with virtual objects and environments, with complex gestural devices, with simulators of all kinds, with mass online interactions, will make a difference in many professions of the future produced by digital transformation.

A study ^[2] commissioned by Microsoft from the consulting firm The Future Laboratory, identifies some possible works of the future, and as a first example cites the "virtual habitat designer":

“By 2025, virtual reality will be the digital space where tens of millions of us will spend hours each day, working, playing and learning. Entire worlds will exist for us to explore online, each of them so immersive, interactive and realistic that they will be almost indistinguishable from the real thing. VR Habitat Designers will need to possess the storytelling skills of an online game designer and editor together with the spatial design expertise of an architect or town planner to be able to imagine and create entire virtual worlds.”

Augmented and virtual reality, rapidly expanding technologies, use interactive metaphors very similar to those of video games, often adapting it to specific work environments. One of the most recent components of the industrial supply chains is the so-called "digital twin", the digital copy of the product. Vocational training deserves a dedicated chapter of its own. Digital gamification, through interactive devices and increasingly through Virtual and Augmented Reality viewers, can significantly reduce training, service, assembly, design and other value chain costs.

“Education Systems will need to adapt to the changes brought about by automation and teach children and youth the skills that allow them to take full advantage of the current wave of technology adoption." ^[3]

Schools today take on a key role in enabling skills and forming intelligences in a world that will be dominated by artificial intelligence. Many analysts now agree that artificial intelligence and more generally digital technologies and automation will not replace man but will accompany him. The worker of the future must be able to make full use of intelligent digital systems. A new symbiosis between workers and digital devices is looming, including physical ones: we will work with "serious videogames".

The international organization Immersive Education ^[4] which includes among its members Harvard University, Boston College, MIT and NASA, has been dedicated for over ten years to the investigation of the educational horizons opened by the technological avant-garde, be it virtual reality, augmented reality or game-based learning. The Italian Ministry of Education, the Miur, recommends the use of immersive 3D environments with integrated play activities as one of the guidelines for digital school publishing.

Understanding of and familiarity with the functioning of complex digital systems based on virtual simulation will be necessary to develop the skills needed for new professions in a world dominated by digital technology.