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Games in education

What is it?

Electronic games devices (e.g. Wii, PS2, Nintendo); computer games software, or computer game design software (e.g. Kahootz, Scratch, Game Maker) can be used in education to develop language skills, strategic thinking, interpretive analysis, problem-solving and even motor skills. Learning can be enhanced if the devices/games are shared or require input from multiple-users. 

What does it look like?

Screen picture of a computer game for children

What's happening in Victorian schools?

  • Picture IT Now (Taylors Lakes Secondary College, 2008) - A class of students in Year 10 created an action script for an online game using basic Flash animation. The resource includes interviews with students and the teacher, as well as a sample of learning produced by the students.
  • Task Magic (Croydon Secondary College, 2008) - In this project, interactive authoring tools were used to make the classroom more engaging in order to improve student motivation and boost their confidence in languages other than English. Task Magic was used to create many different resources for the LOTE classroom. Students then used the interactive whiteboard to play language games in teams.
  • Scratching (Gilmore Girls' High School, 2008) - This project focussed on teaching students high-order thinking skills and provided a solid foundation for programming and other ICT skills. Using Scratch software, students learnt computer programming and problem-solving skills, and developed a series of folios of short movies and games.
  • ScreenIT past winners – The ScreentIT competition is an annual school animation, gaming or film competition for all Australian schools. The competition is co-sponsored by DEECD. For a small fee, teachers are sent kits with the necessary resources to develop competition entries and prizes are awarded at the end of each year. See: The Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI)

Working online

Game Maker

How it works: Game Maker is a Windows computer program which allows users to easily develop computer games without the requirement of prior computer programming experience, while allowing advanced users to create complex applications with its built-in scripting language. Game Maker's interface uses a drag-and-drop system, allowing users unfamiliar with traditional programming to intuitively create games by visually organising icons on the screen. These icons represent actions that would occur in a game, such as movement, basic drawing, and simple control structures.

Safety information: Game Maker can be downloaded from the YoYo Games site. Users are encouraged to share their games with other users on the site but this is optional.

Scratch

How it works: Scratch is a type of programming language that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art - and share creations online. Scratch is a free download. Scratch is designed to help young people aged eight and older develop 21st century learning skills. 

Safety information: A flagging option exists for inappropriate content and responsible use guidelines are stated.