Computer
games help to develop key skills
West
Nottinghamshire College were having difficulty in getting their
teenage students to attend literacy and numeracy classes. Their
solution to this was to utilise a popular computer game called
Neverwinter Nights to attempt to win this battle against poor
basic skills.
The
College took apart Atari’s Neverwinter Nights game and rebuilt
it with integrated educational challenges which a player must
meet in order to progress to the next level.
Initial
success rates in key skills have trebled to a staggering 94%.
The
new game which is aimed at disaffected learners was launched at
the Bett Show this year.
The
game was remodelled into a learning tool which witted in with
national curriculum. Players pick a character and go on a quest,
and as with most RPG games, the player has to make decisions which
affect how the game plays out. The decisions in this game utilise
mathematics and literacy skills.
One
example is where the player is due to set off on a galleon ship
and they have to fill the ship with items they are going to need
on their journey. In order to this they have to work out how area
is calculated to ensure everything they want will fit on the galleon.
The player is required to complete each task before being able
to proceed in the game.
The
Institute of Education recently concluded that computer games
could have a valid role in the classroom with some schools already
utilising the technology available.
The
project has been running at West Nottinghamshire College for the
past 2 years and during that time approximately 700 learners have
played the game. Achievement of key skills has trebled in this
time to 94%.
