Video games. Parents tend to have a bias opinion on them without looking at the potential to they have for their childs future—many of them offer unique learning features. And with increased requirements in schools placing unprecedented demands on children and parents, it may be time to start thinking about video games as teaching tools. Parents can even involve themselves to help increase their childs growth while also monitering the content they are learning. That means understanding what makes a game both fun and educational. But what makes a game fun?
- Challenge and strategy – this is the core of the game. It includes the objective, the play and the scoring. The game should provide a challenge for its players and allow them to use different strategies to gain a level or win. This is what determines the age group or skill level.
- Element of surprise – this is the variation of the game. The element of surprise must be built into the game to provide laughter, excitement, regret or risk.
- Replay ability – this is the ability to play the game over and over with different outcomes each time. This is measured by the ‘boring’ factor. If the child gets bored fast, the game lacks replay ability.
How games can be educational:
- New information – this is the educational information provided. It may be text or graphics, and is normally unknown by the age group or skill level for which the game is made.
- Memorization – this is the part of the game that rewards good memory. If players are able to remember the new information, they can advance in the game.
- Context and Cognition – this is the part of the game that puts the new information to use. Players win or score points by matching pairs, answering questions or problem solving.
- Gender and Ethnic Balance – the game addresses equity issues through cooperative group play, language diversity, and character gender options.
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