What you have to wonder is why none of these games have been brought into classrooms. I have many distinct memories of being “assigned” word-searches and maze sheets that had absolutely nothing to do with what I was learning (being asked to find the names of Canadian cities in a large jumble of letters does not count as a relevant assignment), nor did they refine or sharpen any of my skills (I’m still awful at word-searches). This happens all the way up to high school for some. If these pass as work, why can we not integrate true gaming into class as well?
Staff at Top Hat Monocle were asked to reflect on some of their favourite computer games, mobile games, and board games, that taught them useful skills. The results spoke to the diversity of skills that games teach.
“The right game will stimulate an interest you never knew you had.”
Bree Rody-Mantha, Community Manager
“At age seven, I had little exposure to human geography or history. What little I learned in school had not been overly stimulating as it was mostly limited to colouring in maps. While visiting some out-of-town family friends, I was introduced to a Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? game. In the game, you are a detective hopping from country to country in pursuit of a criminal who has stolen items important to one particular country (example: in the India case, someone has stolen Gandhi’s glasses; in the Denmark case, someone has stolen all of the original works of Hans Christian Andersen).
By speaking to the townspeople in each location, you gather clues as to what the suspect looks like, and also the country he or she has fled to. While some of the clues seem slightly ambiguous (especially for a child), they’re all easily solved by a quick look through your own personal world encyclopedia.
After a few tries at the game, my parents picked up a copy of the game for me to bring home. I cannot count the number of hours I spent in front of the computer until every single case was solved. Not only did the game teach me human geography, culture, and history skills that put me ahead of my classmates, it also taught me how to conduct research (and how to do so efficiently).
The game lead to an interest in world cultures, which then resulted in me focusing on sociology, anthropology, world religions, and global social justice courses in high school. In university, I major in English and Cultural Studies and still have an insatiable appetite for learning about other countries and cultures – a trait that might not have developed had I not been introduced to this game at a young age.”
“Games can teach kids ethics responsibility.”
Anson Mackeracher, Senior Developer
“One game from my childhood that really stands out is Sierra’s adventure game, EcoQuest. In EcoQuest, you play as a ten-year-old adventurer named Adam Green who snorkels through an underwater adventure in search of a fictional underwater kingdom. Despite the fact that you are talking with animals throughout the game, it has a very realistic approach to the ecosystems of the world and the state that they are in.
The game taught me about how harmful and destructive pollution can be to a fragile ecosystem. EcoQuest even gave players bonus points for picking up litter.
It can be difficult to communicate to young students the consequences of activities like littering. By encouraging positive environmental messages as a core part of EcoQuest, Sierra was able to help educate me about the environment.”
“You remember the answers for life.”
Mary Ann Eperthener, Academic Solutions Consultant
“Although I may date myself with this submission, I must say that two of my favorite games were board games. I was a huge fan of both Chutes and Ladders as well as Operation, both of which I believe are still in circulation.
One of the reasons these games were so addictive was because of the instant results and feedback given. If you succeed, you earn immediate reward, but if you fail, you are set back.
Of course, this motivated me to master the games and out-wit my competitors. Games like this really bring out your competitive nature – a trait that can be applied to schoolwork and homework too, if teachers and professors give it a try.
We all had so much fun learning and to this day will never forget the answers to some of the questions.”
“Even as an adult, games can build your skills.”
Mohsen Shahini, Co-Founder and COO
“One of the best educational games I’ve played was one I actually stumbled upon as an adult, but was still very educational, and – more importantly – addictive.
The game is called Scramboni and I played it on my iPod Touch against my friends and other players around the world. It is a multi-player online word game and requires you to have some sort of Internet connection so that you can race against your opponents.
You’re given a set of letters and you must spell out a word with those given letters before the clock runs out. If you spell it before your opponents do, you get an additional bonus. You can re-scramble the letters to see them in a different light.
The competitive nature of the game was what that made it so fun for me. As a non-native English speaker, it helped me to expand on my growing English vocabulary and also taught me how to spell them correctly. It is really cool and a little shocking to learn that you have been spelling words incorrectly or using them in the wrong context for a long time.”
“Games don’t make work seem like work.”
Melody Campbell, Academic Solutions Consultant
“All of my games were offline because I didn’t have a PC or Mac as a child. However, when my kids were young, they loved games. My son – who is now eighteen years old – played a math computer game. I cannot remember the name of the game, but you had to progress through different levels and beat a ‘boss’ at the end.
By the time he was in the seventh grade, he was already prepared for algebra well ahead of his classmates. Of course, as a parent, I like to think it’s because he’s smart. But I have to give credit to the game – the environment of ‘play’ opened his mind to thinking mathematically without it seeming like a chore. In fact, my son hates school work – but put a game in front of him and he’s a genius. It really speaks to how the nature of gaming motivates kids – it gives kids a competitive streak and motivates them with clear rewards and consequences. When they work towards an ultimate goal – like winning a ‘boss battle,’ then it becomes fun and addictive.”
Top Hat Monocle wants to hear from you: what were your favourite educational games as a child? What were life skills you learned from playing games? Comment below!