Educational Gaming- what’s it all about?

Dave Warfield, Head of Game Design at VFS, announces the Award for Outstanding Educational Contribution by Vancouver Film School is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Sometimes an enemy becomes a friend. Gaming is one such entity. What was frowned upon by many as an addiction which was bad for kids is now becoming the favoured learning tool. The inherent addictiveness of popular games is in itself the attraction for folks who teach. They want to know - what makes a game so addictive that people can play it for hours on end?  If students kept at a subject with that much interest, the learning curve would become history!

History of Play

Historically games have been used as a means to learn. The young in the wild play with older members to learn the ways of their kind. Chess was commonly used to learn about strategy. Kriegsspiel, a game created for training Prussian officers was played by volunteers during the civil war. Friedrich Frobel called his Play and Activity institute a kindergarten, setting the foundation for modern day education of our young.

The creation of Edutainment

Games came on to electronic devices a few decades ago. Educationists who saw the interest kids had in gaming understood the potential of bundling a game with learning. Games can be intrinsically learning with a dash of entertainment or largely entertaining with some incidental learning. With all these bridges happening, educational entertainment morphed into ‘edutainment’.

Music, video, TV and now Games

Edutainment first became popular via music and video with shows like Sesame Street and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Many TV shows became games. Then many games introduced elements of education. Games can help kids learn concepts, understand subjects or even pick up a skill.

A billion dollar industry has mushroomed around the gaming industry. Even as casual gaming is cultivating a wider audience, the educational gaming industry is using high tech to reach kids and hold their interest. Interestingly, our classrooms, teaching and evaluation methods are changing to keep pace with this change.

The cons

Even as gaming is gaining a strong foothold, there are those who worry about the psychological and social side effects of gaming. That is for another day.

How Digital Games Help Kids with Disabilities

Digital games have earned both bouquets and brickbats from parents and educators. Owing to the high level of engagement it offers and its popularity with kids, it is a great tool that can be used to involve kids in learning. It also helps kids with disabilities as it takes away the pressure of traditional learning in classrooms that can often prove to be frustrating.

The online world offers a variety of games for kids. From strategy games to educational games, the variety is endless. There are also games that are designed for specific learning disorders. While certain iPad apps can be used to teach kids diagnosed with autism and dyslexia, those with fine motor skills disability can benefit from activities and games for kids that allow them to practice these skills.  There are also games for kids with vision impairment, ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and others.

“Toca Boca” by tocaboca is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Why Digital Games?

Digital games can provide teaching and support outside classrooms with educational and developmental benefits. Though disabilities may differ in nature and severity, games allow for the element of fun which can relax kids and open them up to learning.

Learning through online games helps kids develop and practice new skills in a safe environment before they practice them in the real world. Skills learnt can range from life skills to hand-eye coordination. It is possible to plan individualized learning with online games for kids. Children can control the pace of their learning and repeat an activity until they grasp it.

“Playing on the computer” by john is licensed under CC BY 2.0

How to Find Games for Kids with Disabilities

There is no dearth of online resources for kids with special needs. A child may not be struggling in all areas, and not all subjects or skills may be challenging. It is important to consider their skills and also take into account their interests while finding the right games for them. The level of difficulty can be selected by assessing their skills.

Games for Kids with Special Needs

Some of the games for kids include Orsinal’s flash games that help develop motor skills and they can be played with a single click mouse. Dyslexic learners may benefit from audiobooks like Learning Ally. A website that has developed games keeping in mind the needs of autistic children is WhizKidGames. Another game for autistic kids is Mouse Trial, which can help kids learn communication skills. TapToTalk is also designed to help those with difficulties in speech, across all age groups. iPad’s apps Flashcards for iPad and AppWriter can be used for those with reading and writing disabilities.

Technology has opened up new avenues of learning for children with disabilities. By understanding the specific needs of the child and the challenges they face, it is possible to make the best use of the online resources that are available.