My assignment this week was to search for a post that coincided with this weeks topic and respond. The blog chosen was Nik's Learning Technology Blog at
http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/2007/11/exploiting-two-computer-based-rpgs_09.html
I think that learning aids come in all forms. From the descriptions, the two games mentioned at Nik's Blog (Stick RPG and Third World Farmer) could be an asset in a family and consumer science course. The description of the games seem to be fun and interactive and at the same time they teach life lessons. Both games seem to teach valuable economic and general survival for living in either an urban or rural environment.
I attempted to play Stick RPG, but the site never fully loaded and after 10 seconds of it trying to load I was automatically redirected to another site called Break Media and a video called Jet Propelled Bicycle played. The next game, Third World Farmer, did download. It was not as much fun as I thought it would be. In my opinion, these games would not hold the attention of a teen because it is not exciting enough. It lacks entertainment value. I also did not appreciate having to view a movie trailer for a scary movie as the game loaded. I would not recommend going to either of these websites because the ads and other items at the site are not appropriate for a primary or secondary education learner. The ads are a distraction. In addition, the content on the pages may be blocked by institutional filters anyway.
Family photos from Dec 22, 2024
6 days ago
Tracee,
ReplyDeleteToday's consumers are sophisticated gamers, so games that don't work or are too simplistic simply won't hold their attention or teach anything. I think games can also be overdone and some simple concepts can be taught and reinforced in multple other ways.
Tracee and Peggy,
ReplyDeleteIt really is a shame that educational game developers are lagging behind the entertainment industry in game creation. Ironically, many "entertainment" games teach students many skills, such as problem solving, math concepts, measurement, etc. The difference is that they are so busy enjoying these games' tasks and objectives that they don't get bogged down by mundane concepts or objectives--the learning just happens naturally. There are signs that this is improving in the education world, but we seem to stay 3 steps behind the times.
Good review. Game should be a supplement and create practice. Some teachers use them as the primary resource which robs students of valuable instruction.
ReplyDeletedlo