Educational game facts for kids
Educational games are games made to help you learn! They can teach you about different subjects, help you understand new ideas, or even teach you a new skill while you play. Think of them as fun ways to learn. These games can be board games, card games, or video games.
More and more, teachers, parents, and even governments see how much gaming can help people learn. Games are interactive and teach us about goals, rules, and how to solve problems. They also help us learn to work with others. Games make learning fun and exciting, which helps us remember things better.
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Video Games for Learning
Today, many people play video games. These electronic games are now more popular than traditional board games. Video games can help you learn by letting you become a character in a story. As you play, you solve problems and learn new skills. When you get really into a game, you might even start to feel like the character you're playing. This can help you understand different situations better.
What is Game-Based Learning?
Game-based learning (GBL) means using games to reach specific learning goals. It's about finding a good balance between the game itself and the subject you're supposed to learn. The idea is that you'll remember what you learn and be able to use it in the real world.
Kids often spend hours playing games like hide-and-seek or learning complex digital games like chess. This shows that playing and learning go hand-in-hand. Games help your brain grow and develop, and they also help you learn how to interact with others. For example, in hide-and-seek, good hiders learn to think about space. Seekers learn to look for clues and guess where someone might be hiding.
Where Did Educational Games Come From?
People have used games for learning for a very long time. Long ago, noblemen learned war strategies by playing chess. During the American Civil War, soldiers used a game called American Kriegsspiel to practice military tactics. This game was first made in 1812 to train officers.
In the early 1800s, Friedrich Fröbel created Kindergarten. His idea was that young children learn best through play. Kids loved his simple educational toys, called Fröbel Gifts. These included blocks, sewing kits, and clay.
How Educational Games Work
There are different ways to create games that help your brain grow. One way is for teachers and programmers to build new games from scratch. Another way is to use games that are already popular, like commercial games, and use them in the classroom. A third way is for students to create their own games.
Using existing games in class is often the easiest and cheapest way. But teachers need to believe that digital games can help students learn. They also need to feel comfortable using these games and the technology. Students usually feel very confident with digital games. When teachers are confident too, the games work even better for learning. Schools can help teachers by offering training and support.
Games often have a story or a fantasy element that makes learning fun. Educational video games can make kids want to learn. They also help kids understand that their choices have consequences. Games let kids express themselves and learn about social issues. Many games today are social, meaning teens play them with friends. This can help them learn about working together and being part of a community.
Game-based learning works well because it makes you an active part of the learning process. It shows that sometimes, traditional ways of teaching aren't exciting enough. More and more, people going to college or starting jobs have grown up playing games. This means they are used to learning through play.
Educational games can be simple, like word searches. Or they can be very complex, like massive online games (MMOs) where many players interact. In these games, you can try out new ideas and get feedback right away. This happens in a safe, virtual world where it's okay to make mistakes.
The best part of a game is often the learning process built into it. As you get better at a game, you are actually learning its rules and systems. This feeling of understanding something new is very rewarding. Whether it's an entertainment game like Call of Duty or a serious one like a flight simulator, well-designed games are great for learning. They let you try things out, see what happens, and work towards goals without real-world risks. Games have rules, structure, and goals that keep you motivated. They are interactive and give you feedback. Many games also have puzzles that make you think creatively.
When you play a video game, identifying with your character is important for learning. Some games let you create your own avatar. This character becomes an expression of you in the virtual world. This opens up new possibilities for learning. The virtual world can be like a laboratory. You can explore relationships and societies without actually being in them. Researchers can even use games to study how people think and interact. As game creators and players look for new experiences, adding "experiments" could make games even more engaging.
How Educational Games Are Used
Traditionally, technology in schools helps solve problems in fun ways, especially in math. Games can also prepare students for bigger projects that need certain technology. More recently, educational games have been made for college students. These games use real-world situations in a virtual setting. This lets students have a consistent learning experience any time, day or night. Some schools use game-based learning to help teach Common Core Standards. Teachers have found that digital learning games can help with these standards.
In the future, games and technology will likely be used even more for simulations. For example, pilots already use flight simulators to practice before flying real planes. These simulations create the stress of flying without any of the risks. Simulation games are also used in other jobs. A spy-themed game helped improve sales skills at Avaya. A 3D simulation game trained emergency responders in New York City.
Before using game-based learning, teachers or trainers need to decide what they want students to learn. The game should connect directly to that main idea. It's also important to choose games that are right for the age group and what they already know. Getting ideas from kids early on helps designers create technology that children will enjoy and learn from. Multiplayer online games (MMOs) are great for improving skills like complex thinking and social interaction. They also create social networks that encourage teamwork and communication.
