Educational Games

Games that are designed with educational value in mind are different from most recreational computer games on the market and far different from school work as well.

Given the right opportunity, these types of games may be allowed to develop to their highest potential resulting in the greatest benefit to the end user.

Educational games may in time become the highest possible form of learning if the right amount of effort and resources are applied to their development. This should be given a lot of consideration as we are now well into the digital age.

Educational games are often looked at as being neither something the students would be required to participate in nor something most kids would chose to do in their spare time.

How can educational games ever possibly become part of an educational curriculum?

Some may suggest that educational games for kids should first be put through a series of rigorous tests and various trial runs to see if they could possibly be employed an actual academic setting.

The computer video game industry these days is a very completive market and the cost of developing new title can be costly. As with most businesses the computer gamming industry as a whole seems more concerned with the “bottom-line” than creating something meaningful.

All one has to do is take a look at the world educational rankings and how we have fallen behind many of the developed countries of the world as well as seeing many of the developing countries making clear gains on us.

Some leaders in the video game development industry are calling for the creation of indie games, similar to that of motion picture industry that are made independently from major film studios. An independent genre would allow much more creativity and the creators to more vigorously pursue new ideas and concepts.

Our educational system is very resistant to change; this can be attributed to many factors including monetary and political costs. Practical alternative educational models must be developed by all those involved in education if schools are to be able to adapt to the new pressures created by the changing economic and social conditions that are faced by our society.

These types of alternative educational systems can be designed to help prepare students to be the innovative thinkers of the future and ready to face the complexity of the postindustrial world.

Educational logic building games can be developed independently outside the traditional educational system without the idea of competing directly with traditional education but instead applied as an extra curricular supplementary form of education.

We must find new and innovative ways to challenge the institutional educational system in this country if we are to stay a world leader and at the very least remain competitive.

Educational games could be the answer needed to address the issue of developing incentives for students to take more advanced level courses in technical subjects in the traditional school setting. One recent national report shows in order to meet the challenges that await students in globalization, student need to start taking more advanced technical courses in order to survive in the work force of the future.

Often times at the middle school level, many students decide not to pursue mathematics and science any further. These decisions made at this stage of educational development in life can have a direct impact on the limiting effect of career opportunities as they enter the work force within ten years.

Research has shown through extensive study on the topic of enrichment programs, that student returning from these programs to there general studies often have an interest in many subjects they never had before. Making educational computer games a part of these enrichment programs may be a way to spark an interest in many academic subjects as well.

The purpose of developing educational games is more a way of allowing student a new and completely different way thinking. We must also remember that the creation and development of these learning games is not a direct replacement for tradition education but a way to build on an established foundation.

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