Which games are best for learning

• Role playing games and management ‘sims’ (sims = simulate experience eg. Civilisation, Championship Management).  Most use Educational formats eg. Model economic systems (virtual worlds) e.g. Death in Rome
• C.O.T.S  - Industry calls ‘commercial off the shelf games’ – what are you teaching children?
• Story-based Adventure Games (MYST)
• Casual games – commercial games world eg. Braintraining, Flash puzzles.

(caused comment that casual games are used in schools as they fit into the timetable, or teachers think children can only concentrate for 20 minutes at a time.)

• Watch out for ‘Forked Tongue’ games – packaging (linked to learning) appeals to parents and the game to the children.
• Nintendo – they remarket games eg. Underground for Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day etc.
• Games that merge ‘Life and Learning’
• Games from outside formal process and then put into formal education.

(caused comments on alternative reality games.  Triangle of ‘outside school’ – ‘home’ – ‘classroom face’ e.g. Shares (?))

• It was thought that more boys play games than girls, but actually this isn’t the case.  Eg. Nintendo ‘Dogs & Cats’  games for DS and PSP are inherently ‘cool’.
• Games that involve Competition & Challenge
• Online Games and Chat
• Social Networking – Adventure Rock – Club Penguin
• 'Brain' Games (Drill & Practice)
• Why No Mobile Phone Learning Games eg O2 Child Phone

NB image important EDAs v. PSP/DS