Educational game
Barab (2009) defines conceptual play as "a state of engagement that involves (a) projection into the role of character who, (b) engaged in a partly fictional problem context, (c) must apply conceptual understandings to make sense of, and ultimately, transform the context".
[1] The goal of such play spaces is to have the "gamer" engage in the narrative while learning cognitive and social skills.
"Edutainment" games are those that are typically based on drilling fundamental lessons in a linear progression, with added entertainment value.
Therefore, it can be said that play and learning are synonymous, leading to cognitive and emotional development inside a social and cultural context.
For instance, the game of hide and seek: Good hiders need visual and spatial perspective to define the best hiding places, while seekers must be skilled at searching for cues from the surroundings and choosing the most probable location for the hider among various possible places.
[5] A systematic review investigated the effects of educational games for mental health students: In his classical essay, "Upon the Aesthetic Education of Man", Friedrich Schiller discusses play as a force of civilization, which helps humans rise above their instincts and become members of enlightened communities.
While the text is limited by the author's beliefs in concepts such as freedom and beauty, it nevertheless sets the stage for Johan Huizinga's classical study, Homo Ludens.
During the Civil War, volunteers from Rhode Island played American Kriegsspiel, which had originally been created in 1812 for training Prussian officers-of-war.
Children delighted in his Fröbel Gifts, simple educational toys such as blocks, sewing kits, clay, and weaving materials.
[8] According to Richard N. Van Eck, there are three main approaches to creating software that stimulates cognitive growth in the gamer.
[13][citation needed] The success of game-based learning strategies owes to active participation and interaction being at the center of the experience, and signals that current educational methods are not engaging students enough.
[14] Experience with and affinity for games as learning tools is an increasingly universal characteristic among those entering higher education and the workforce.
[citation needed] Real-world challenges are easier faced within a game containing effective, interactive experiences that actively engage people in the learning process.
According to a recent case study by an ed tech-based nonprofit organization, teachers find some digital learning games help address issues with alignment in Common Core.
[26] Multiplayer role playing games (MMO's) provide opportunities for players to improve such skills as, “complex learning, thinking, and social practices”.
[27] MMO's also provide a social network which can favor collaborative gaming and learning and contribute to the formation of teams, communication within a group and help strengthen individual and communal identities.
