BoardBuzz readily admits to embracing its inner geek. Thus explaining how we came across Wired magazine’s Game | Life blog entry by Susan Arendt on a new addition to the field of educational games. You may be familar with Brain Age. Back in 2006 Nintendo released this unorthodox video game predicated on the idea that your brain is a muscle that needs exercise like any other muscle. Brain Age makes the claim that mental exercises can actually improve your cognitive abilities.
Now we learn that PLATO Learning is bringing its educational software, Achieve Now, to the PSP (PlayStation Portable) this April. PLATO Learning is an educational software company that works with elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools across the nation. Describing their work, the company’s website says:
Our tradition of innovation dates back to 1963 and continues today as we deliver just-in-time online assessments that are tied directly to standards; bring learning standards to the classroom, fully integrating them with your instructional resources; and provide meaningful professional development, customized to meet your needs. Most importantly, we make a difference in the lives of learners—as they upgrade their skills, increase their self-esteem, discover successful employment, and become better, more self-sufficient students and employees.
Their Achieve Now software takes the shape of a series of interactive games designed to help elementary and middle-school students practice and improve their language arts, reading, and mathematics skills. Blending learning with play is an excellent idea if not a new one. BoardBuzz loved Wired’s mention of Carmen Sandiego as a tool to learn geography. Wired brings up another great point.
In that respect, putting educational software on the PSP makes great sense, but it’s only half the equation. It’s not enough to put the education in the game, you have to put the game in the hands of the child. Are the schools going to provide PSPs to the students, or is this an educational benefit only available to those families that can afford to get a PSP for their kid?
Nevertheless, BoardBuzz thinks combining gaming with education is an excellent idea. So do others. We had the pleasure to hear from such great minds as Ray Kurzweil and James Paul Gee at our 2006 T+L conference. If you want to see into the future, says Kurzweil, just keep an eye on the development of video games. Gee recently published “Why Video Games Are Good for Your Soul,” in which he argues that good video games have the capacity to boost learning and empower people.
“Edutainment” is very much a part of our future. Be sure to keep an eye on our T+L Conference website for information about our 2008 program and speakers!
You may find this video from edutopia interesting. No Gamer Left Behind: Virtual Learning Goes to the Next Level.