What Makes A Good Edtech Game? (In My Opinion)

Learning + Game?

Learning + Game?

Imagine you can have fun while learning new things. How wonderful does that sound? How can we design a game such that it is so fun to play that you would want to play it every single day, and at the same time, you are collecting pieces of knowledge while enjoying the great fun. In this short post for this week, I want to focus on my opinion on the elements that a good #edtech game could possibly offer, that enhance the learning experience, through interactive gameplay!

The Fun

The Fun

We don't call a game "a game" if it is not fun at all. We enjoy games because they are fun! They bring us happiness, satisfaction and a sense of achievement and ownership. So is #edtech related game. Being a game, we can't lose the "fun" from it. Otherwise, no one will want to play it. Learners won't start gaining knowledge and learning things if they do not want to open the game in the first place.

CompetitiveCompetitive

So how can we make an #edtech game fun to play? When we talk about educational games, we often think about simple concepts that add "fun" elements into the games. For example, they often associate with scores and leaderboard. The more or better the learners perform, the higher they rank among other players. Having a scoring and ranking system is a straightforward way to add gamification to education, in the form of competitive elements. One common example is Duolingo, a language learning platform where learners complete short courses to rank up in the leaderboard.

Role PlayRole Play

Some games also add certain role play to let learners feel a sense of ownership. For example, you have a character assigned to you to nurture and grow. The amount of experiences and points you collect through completing tasks in the game and learning new things, allow the in-game character to grow and evolve. Some games also introduce decorative elements that allow players to decorate their own "virtual house" for the character.

Simple Yet AddictiveSimple Yet Addictive

There are also games where they emphasise on the simplicity of the design. The game is so easy to play and require very little effort to keep playing. Because of this nature, this kind of game adapts a very short and rapid learning pattern. Learners will practice with repetitions in order to grasp a concept, and develop addiction towards the game when the game is fun enough to play. One close example could be Wordle. It is so simple that usually one round takes no more than 5 minutes. Every day there is a new word to play so the players never get bored. By playing this game, players also gain knowledge about new vocabulary.''

ImmersiveImmersive

"Competitive, Role-Play, Simple and Addictive", all these are great elements that can make an educational game "fun". To add to the list, I am thinking towards a game that brings players through an immersive journey or adventure. This can be for a language-based game or any other educational games that aim to teach players about a certain process. Take the language-based game as an example, players can first choose a topic they want to play with, for instance, let's pick the "Restaurant Ordering Food" as a common beginner example. The game then brings the player into a simulated situation where several quests have been crafted out by the smart system for the player to complete. In each quest, the player might be tasked to strike up a conversation with simulated characters in the scenario, using the vocabulary and sentence structures that the player learns along the way. The players will also receive constructive feedback on how well they perform during the quest. This can be a daily event that every day a new quest will be generated, so that players will never get bored playing the same contents. Additionally, we can also add those traditional "fun" elements together, for example, adding "Role-Play" element that allows the players to decorate the cute house that their "virtual characters" live in. We can also have leaderboard showing how well the player performs against other players on the same quest.

The Learning

The Learning

The additional requirement for an #edtech game is that, it is not just a game. The education part of the game is very important as well. And in this post, I want to discuss three key concepts that would make the learning potentially more effective.

Climbing A MountainClimbing A Mountain

Learning new things is like climbing a mountain. To reach the top and conquer a particular learning point, we have to start from the bottom and slowly work our way up. This journey can be designed differently so that the ultimate time taken that we use to reach the top will vary.

Imagine we first choose a very steep slope. Yes, it is a shorter path so it seems like it is quicker to get to the top. However, we must factor in the amount of energy and momentum learners possess. A very determined learner might be able to persevere through the entire steep journey without a break. But not everyone is able to do that. More often, learners will keep absorbing new knowledge without a break for their expanding brains, and eventually lead to either they give up on the task halfway, or forget about what they learned previously.

Think about the upward slope as learning new things, and downward slope as practicing the learned knowledge. Because going down the slope requires less cognitive effort than going up the slope. A better way to climb to the top is to choose a path that consists of intervals of both upward and downward slopes, so that after learning some new knowledge, we take some time to slow down and practice what we learned, before we move on to the next section of new knowledge.

If we put this into a game, we can have some review sessions or real-life simulation sessions where we ask the players to use whatever they have learned to complete the quests. It should be a fun and casual session that shouldn't put too much mental pressure on the learners.

ComplexityComplexity

The materials designed into the game cannot be too complex, but also cannot be too simple. If too complex, the steep learning curve will cause many learners to give up halfway. Not just that they will never reach the end goal to complete the learning journey, also as a game, it means the loss of potential users. However, the content cannot be too simple also. We learn things best when there are tiny little pressures that push us forward, that make our brain active and attentive, and sharpen our senses and memory. If the content is too easy, the quest is too easy to complete, not only the learners will finish the course feeling that they haven't learned much, also due to the absence of challenges, the content they learned won't go into their long-term memory so deeply and they are easy to be forgotten. It might penalise on the "fun" part of the game as well. Certain level of fun is derived from players going through and resolving conflicts and challenges in the game.

Social ProofSocial Proof

Community is also a great aspect that should be designed in an #edtech game. The reason why we were put into a classroom setting back in school, is not just because it is easier for a teacher to teach, but also because it adds in the social element that facilitates active learning. As a learner, you will feel involved in a vibrant community, where you know that "you are not alone" in this learning journey. When you encounter a problem, there are other people who encounter the same problem as you. When you solve a problem, learn a new thing, there is a community there to cheer you up and congratulate you. Also, it acts as a "social proof" that testifies the knowledge that the learners acquire, as they can see how the knowledge allows other players in the game to succeed in certain quests or obtaining certain achievements. Moreover, players can share what they have achieved in the game, with their friends and family, who also act as another layer of support that drives the players forward in their learning journey.

Conclusion

Conclusion

In conclusion, an effective #edtech game seamlessly blends the elements of fun and learning, providing an engaging platform for acquiring knowledge. By incorporating competitive elements, role-playing, simplicity, and addictiveness, we create an environment where learners eagerly pursue knowledge while having fun. Additionally, the learning process should be approached with thoughtful consideration of progression, complexity, and the importance of a supportive community. When these elements merge together, we unlock the potential for a modern education system that captivates learners while delivering valuable educational experiences. The future of education lies in the fusion of enjoyment and learning, shaping a generation of eager and empowered learners.