Today we began learning about game based learning and how it can be used for educational purposes. Initially we were allowed to play a game on the wii called Super Mario Kart. We were then asked to describe our favourite character within the game the setting and then use this to create our own setting and character. This I feel would be excellent for children when creating descriptive stories within literacy because by being exposed to visual images and audio sounds they won’t be relying purely on their imagination when describing an image and perhaps will encourage children to describe items in more detail.

After playing the game we were asked in pairs to create different activities that could be linked to the video game such as art, numeracy, technology and literacy. We decided that for our lesson activity the children could create their very own racing event which would also allow us as teachers to integrate subjects to emphasise cross curricular learning. As part of an art lesson we decided that the children could design a map of the track which could include food and drink stalls, the commentators box, the pit stops and anything else the children would like to add in. We also thought we could integrate art and technology by getting the children to design a poster to advertise the event using the activinspire software. As another way of integrating art and technology we thought that we could get the children to design and create their racing cars using materials such as play dough, lego or other building materials and then get them to use iStop motion to create an animation of the race. For our literacy task we decided that the children could be given a role each such as the racing car drivers, the pit crew, the commentators etc. in which they would be interviewed on what their role was throughout the event. After doing so the children could then write a newspaper article describing the event using the eBook app on the iPad. Finally as a numeracy activity we decided that the children could decide the cost of the tickets and how many people attended the event and therefore could work the total cost of the tickets bough for of the event. Also we would allow children to create their own prices for food and drink at each stall and create problem solving questions such as: “If a drink costs 60p and the total of drinks bought on the day of the racing events was £10.60, how many customers bought a drink?”

Initially I was skeptical of using games within education, however by creating my own activites it has shown me just how relevant and varied the lessons can be and by using digital technology the activity can be fun and creative rather than just putting pencil to paper. After researching the benefits of  using game based learning it became apparent to me that they’re are several reasons why this should be integrated into a child’s education. According to teachthought.com game based learning increases a child’s memory capacity as a game often relies on memorisation of sequences and patterns often to win. As well as helping children to improve their fast-track thinking and problem solving skills as children often need to utilise their logic to be ahead of the game in order to solve problems and complete levels. Game based learning, as stated by teach thought.com, is excellent for helping children to develop their skill building as mystery games often require map reading skills and other games such as Fifa and other football management games introduce children to managing finances and general project management.

After taking time to read through this research it has become apparent to me that game based learning is a great way to introduce children to real life scenarios such as map reading and money management which are skills that all children will need to develop. It is also a fun and interactive way of learning that allow the children to forget their being educated and have an enjoyable learning experience. Therefor I feel I will include game based learning within my lessons as a future teacher as it has huge potential to encourage cross curricular learning.