eLearning Games for Kids
It’s rare that I find the time to participate in two Articulate Community E-Learning Challenges in a row. As I mentioned in my last post, I only like to contribute when I know I can showcase my best work and create something truly special. However, this week’s challenge provided me the opportunity to explore an e-learning topic that I’ve been wanting to look at for some time, and that is: gamification.
Games are a powerful tool when it comes to learning. They can provide motivation, incentive and make the learning process much more exciting. So, for this week, we we’re challenged to create a simple learning game for children.
The Design
I have to be honest, designing this game was a challenge. Through the development process, I realized how important the line is between design and functionality, especially when creating something geared towards children. Not only does it have to look exciting, but it also has to function very simply. This meant limiting the number of on-screen buttons and keeping the design focused and consistent. I did this by making it very clear what each button would accomplish. Nothing else is left for interpretation.
As with the design, the actual mechanics of the game are just as simple. There’s an image, some letters and a place to move those letters. At its core, this is a simple identification and spelling game. Assuming that most learning games are delivered via mobile devices, I made sure to take advantage of Storyline’s Convert to Freeform tool to turn this into a drag-and-drop activity. And I have to say, it feels far more natural to play this on an iPad, rather than a computer. I think you’ll agree!
Use the links below to check out the game for yourself OR download the Storyline file to use this as a template and make your own game. Enjoy!
