Abstract
‘Computer games’ is a term that is widely used to describe many different
activities on the computer. Games can be categorised into broad groups
and these teacher led categorisations are comprehensible to parents.
Primary teachers perceive that many educational titles contain a game
element, and this perception is shared by children using such software. The
games included in this evaluation were all outside this traditional classroom
software group.
Games provide a forum in which learning arises as a result of tasks
stimulated by the content of the games, knowledge is developed through
the content of the game, and skills are developed as a result of playing the
game.
It seems that the final obstacle to games use in schools is a mis-match
between games content and curriculum content, and the lack of opportunity
to gain recognition for skill development. This problem is present in primary
schools, but significantly more acute in secondary.
Many of the skills valuable for successful game play, and recognised by
both teachers and parents, are only implicitly valued within a school
context. Teachers and parents both valued the conversation, discussion, and
varied thinking skills demanded by some of the games employed. However,
these alone could not justify the use of the games within a crowded school
curriculum.
Teachers have highlighted and indicated elements of game structure and
form which would enable some of the games to be incorporated into the
school context.
Children’s access to games varies as they get older. Their preferences are
clearly for adventure and race games and shooting/arcade though girls are
far more likely to favour adventure games than boys throughout.
Overall pupils were more likely to play games on a games console rather
than a PC, but most played on more than one platform and PC use only
dropped below 50% for Key Stage 3 boys.
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