Educational gaming? Opinions needed, enquire within.

[Sccye]

Right then, folks. I'm a teacher. Specifically, a teacher of Religious Education, Philosophy and Ethics for 11-18 year olds in the UK. I'm also something of a gamer. A long-term project of mine is to do research into the use of gaming in education and in the meantime develop a few resources that might find a way to use some of my students' love of gaming to get them engaged in a few of the issues.

However, there comes the obvious problem that the phrase 'educational gaming' is a massive, massive turn-off for most gamers. 'Educational' games are usually patronising, over-simplistic pieces of crap with little to no engaging content. However, this shouldn't always be the case. Gaming as a medium can be extremely informative. It's just a question of pitching it right and setting the tone of the narrative correctly. For my subject in particular, translating the content of religions - which is essentially myth and legend - into a game-world has masses of potential. A lot of games in fact are heavily influenced by religious ideas, philosophical concepts and iconography anyway.

Games couldn't and shouldn't replace the teacher in the classroom, but they could be an interesting and engaging learning aid. In particular, I think there's room there to build up competency in writing skills, revising facts / key words & ideas and just immerse yourself in the subject content. But, this is just my speculations at this stage.

So, this is where you come in. I want the opinions and ideas of teenagers and other young adults on this. The questions I really want your ideas on are...

Can educational gaming ever work? Would it need to be a more conventional game with certain factual aspects in it that are woven into the narrative, or would more of an explicit approach work? What genres do you think would be most effective in learning?

Thanks in advance

 

[Matu Flp Krwfe]

Educational gaming does work. In fact that's where I and most of my friends were introduced to video games in general through titles like Gizmo's and Gadgets and Dr. Brain which neatly wove in problem solving and even rudimentary physical principles (circuitry, leverage, potential energy ect.) into at least part of the gameplay, and there's no reason why something more mainstream cannot do the same. An in-depth leveling system or complex gametype is really no more complex than anything that I was exposed to in those educational games of yor. What differences there are are for the mere fact that these mechanics in modern games have no connection to any part of reality, save for a few skewed physics engines to make dead bodies more fun. We master them, none-the-less, because we are masters of bullshit but the point is that gaming is needlessly abstract because we could just as well be solving some puzzle or managing some system in an intuitive way that would be in some part applicable to life, rather than our own introvertive fantasies.

 

[Nivag the Owl]

Games are just another form of media. Films are educational, books are educational, and games are educational (especially as they include hands on interactivity). I thought I had more to say but, turns out I don't. Sorry! All I can say now is, I wish you were my Philosophy & Beliefs teacher when I was in secondary school.

 

[Dexiro]

I think educational games are really good in some cases. They just need to be accessible/cheap, less patronising/cheesy and somewhat rewarding.

It only works really for things that need careful practice. Like learning languages or playing an instrument.
Those brain training games seem to work really well too.

Most games for other subjects reak of that "adults trying to be 'in' with the kids" type thing which makes them cringeworthy.

Maybe i just lack the motivation to say subjects for other games would work well xD
I would kind of like a game that teaches me programming, so maybe similar things would work for other people.

 

[AWAR]

2 words: Bible Games.

 

[Kagim]

I did all those reader rabbit games as a kid which landed me reading three grades above my level.

Then again this was when i was back in grade one.

As well the standard of teaching in grade 11 is that if you could read at all your okay...

I'm hurting my own argument...

At any rate you can't have a straight educational game. Its boring. Younger children will like it. Hell I STILL love the show Histaria and i learned more about American history from that show then from the four months my Other Cultures class did on the US. The problem is as time goes on while lots of gamers still like to learn implementing it carefully is hard to do to reach that audience.

Its possible, i am sure it can be done, but to make a game that both young and older will enjoy would be tricky.

I would honestly try the adventure/action game route and put it on the PSN and the 360 and Wii equivalents(Excuse my ignorance for names i only use the one)

Like a mystery style game trying to solve murders being carried out with religious themes. Only way to stop him is to think a step ahead sort of idea?