Educational+Video+Games


 * Educational Video Games**

Educational video games combine education and entertainment, with all the characteristics of a video game however also educational outcomes. Videogames enhance the learning experience through creating an interactive experience. They also provide a highly visual experience. For these reason they would work great with both Kinesthetic and Visual learners. Games are designed with specific learning outcomes in mind and have been designed across a complete range of learning areas. From a personal experience an educational video game released in 1999 “Typing of the Dead” developed my touch typing ability. In the game (an adaptation of arcade classic “House of the Dead”) the players gun is replaced with a keyboard and the player must defend themselves from hoards of zombies through the power of touch typing with each completed word shooting a zombie, solving a mystery and stopping the apocalypse along the way (What adolescent male isn’t going to get in on that!). Although this example is probably a bit of an extreme case and not really recommended for school age children, more the adult market, I had quite care-free parents and my mum loved zombies and such it worked great for me, now typing at over 70 wpm. There are literally hundreds of educational video games out there catering for a huge range of topics. Some examples of them can be found on sites such as; [] [] [] []

(Yep that last one is run by the guys behind the Nobel Peace Prize.)

In terms of class-room strategy and implementing these games, I really recommend playing them in your spare time, finding the ones that a genuinely educational, fun and not a waste of time and in a computer class getting students to give them a go. If you have a student who is struggling with literacy, find them a game that is suited to literacy and give them some individual time with a computer and the game, replace literacy with any subject a student is struggling with and repeat. The potential for video games as an educational resource is only just starting to be realized and in my mind at least, it is going to be a huge boom market in the next 10 years minimum. Personally I am preparing myself as an English teacher for secondary school to have to accept video games as an accepted text (Hence why I play so many.)



**BOOKWORM** One of my most favourite activities as a kid in school was playing on the computer, particularly games and activities that were really creative. With the increasing use of ipad's, visual aids, projectors, hand held computers and other assistive technologies it is important that all students are able to cope with the constant use of technology. In saying that, I'm sure a few 5 year olds could teach me a thing or two about the new iphone or ipad! While all kids love playing games, particularly computer games, students with disabilities may feel isolated if they are always needing to use a computer, ipad or other assistive device, while all of the peers are able to hand-write. The use of educational games on the computer allows inclusion of the whole class as everyone is using a device. Bookworm is a free online computer game that was a favourite of mine growing up among my peers. It is suitable for students in Year 1 upwards. If used as a reward or as an inclusive activity it can be very effective in creating a fun environment - for everyone! It is also very educational as it focuses on students knowledge of sounds and sound-blending by getting them to create words with letters that are next to each other, either left-right, up or down. The longer the words the more points. A class reward system could be used by playing the game, perhaps the students try to come up with more words than the teacher and have a chart running! The use of bookworm can also encourage peer tutoring, the best way to learning is by teaching something, and what better than getting the students to explain something they know best - computer games!

Bookworm can be found at: [] and Bookworm Adventures at: []