You want to create an educational game that’s both fun and easy to use. How do you get started?

1. Identify your target audience. 2. Decide on the Software you are comfortable with (if it is for kids, Scratch is more than sufficient). 3. Involve students in the creation of the e-game process. 4. Create the game and share it with the community.

Para a cria??o de um jogo educativo que seja, ao mesmo tempo, divertido e eficaz pedagogicamente, é crucial iniciar pelo alicerce do projeto: a defini??o clara dos objetivos de aprendizado. Isso requer uma compreens?o aprofundada das necessidades e habilidades do público-alvo, bem como dos resultados que se deseja alcan?ar. Devemos nos perguntar: "O que o jogador deverá ter aprendido ou desenvolvido ao concluir o jogo?" Essa defini??o norteará cada etapa subsequente do processo de desenvolvimento, garantindo que as atividades lúdicas estejam alinhadas aos objetivos pedagógicos.

Define your learning objectives: Before you start creating your game, it’s important to define what you want your students to learn. This will help you create a game that is both educational and engaging.

In my experience, defining clear educational and engagement goals is crucial. Consider what specific knowledge or skills you want your game to impart, and how you aim to keep players motivated. This foundational step shapes every other aspect of your game development process.

To begin creating an engaging educational game, start by defining clear educational objectives. Choose a topic that is relevant to your target audience. Design an engaging narrative that incorporates challenges related to educational content. Prioritize usability, ensuring an intuitive interface and friendly user experience. Integrate attractive visual elements and music that complement the experience. Consider including rewards to motivate progress. Test the game with users to adjust the difficulty and ensure a balance between fun and learning. Iteration and constant feedback are essential for the success of the educational game.

One time at work, I chose a role-playing game (RPG) genre for an educational game because it allows for storytelling and character development, which were effective in engaging students in historical topics. The genre you choose should align with your educational objectives and appeal to your target audience.

O gênero do jogo deve ser escolhido n?o apenas com base na preferência do público, mas também de forma estratégica para servir aos objetivos educacionais definidos. Por exemplo, jogos de estratégia s?o excelentes para desenvolver habilidades de planejamento e raciocínio lógico, enquanto aventuras narrativas podem ser melhores para explorar temas históricos ou literários. O gênero influencia a receptividade e a motiva??o dos usuários, sendo assim, uma escolha que ressoe com os interesses do público e complemente o conteúdo educativo é essencial para o sucesso do jogo.

Choose a game format: There are many different game formats you can choose from, such as quizzes, puzzles, and simulations. Choose a format that aligns with your learning objectives and is appropriate for your student’s age and skill level.

Talk to lots of people try to identify people who would buy a game and then ask them to see how much they would pay for the game upfront and ask for that amount of money to build a tailor made game for them saying to them what is possible on such a small budget. You can create your own games today on LLMs why not make them for others but exactly what they want instead of what you want

Choosing the right game genre is key once your educational game goals are set. For a game on environmental science aimed at middle schoolers, selecting a genre that aligns with the subject and captivates the audience is crucial. Puzzle games could be great for teaching problem-solving through environmental challenges, while an adventure genre might better suit exploratory learning, letting players discover ecological concepts in a story-driven format. You could even blend genres, like combining role-play with simulation, to create an immersive world where students make decisions impacting virtual ecosystems. The choice of genre greatly influences how effectively the game meets learning objectives and engages your target audience. ????????

One thing I’ve found helpful is to choose a development tool that balances ease of use with functionality. For beginners, platforms like Scratch or GameSalad are great as they offer intuitive interfaces. For more advanced features, Unity or Unreal Engine are excellent choices, but require more technical expertise.

A escolha da ferramenta ou plataforma correta é determinante para que o desenvolvimento do jogo ocorra de maneira fluida e sem contratempos técnicos. Deve-se levar em conta o grau de proficiência técnica da equipe, os recursos disponíveis e as exigências do projeto educativo. Para iniciantes, plataformas como o Scratch oferecem uma entrada amigável ao mundo da programa??o. Já para projetos mais ambiciosos com necessidades de recursos avan?ados, ferramentas como Unity podem ser mais adequadas, oferecendo maior flexibilidade e op??es de personaliza??o.

Choose a game creation tool: There are many different tools available for creating educational games, such as Educaplay, TinyTap, and Genially. Choose a tool that is easy to use and aligns with your learning objectives.

O design dos elementos do jogo é onde a educa??o encontra a divers?o. Personagens, cenários, mecanicas de jogo, narrativa, desafios e recompensas devem ser criados tendo em mente os objetivos educacionais. Eles precisam trabalhar em conjunto para proporcionar uma experiência imersiva e que estimule o aprendizado. A fase de design também deve incluir a cria??o de métricas para avaliar o progresso e o sucesso do aprendizado, de modo a permitir ajustes e garantir que o jogo seja uma ferramenta educativa efetiva.

Create your game content: Once you have defined your learning objectives and chosen a game format, you can start creating your game content. This might include questions, puzzles, or other interactive elements.

The design of game elements should be cohesive and aligned with your educational goals. Create characters, stories, and challenges that are not only fun but also educational. Tools like Canva or Adobe Creative Suite can be useful for designing appealing visuals and interfaces.

Test and refine your game: Once you have created your game, it’s important to test it with your students and refine it based on their feedback. This will help you create a game that is both fun and effective.

A fase de constru??o envolve a integra??o de todos os elementos de jogo na ferramenta ou plataforma escolhida. Após uma vers?o inicial estar pronta, é essencial realizar testes contínuos com usuários reais para coletar feedbacks e refinar o jogo. Isso é crítico para equilibrar dificuldade, engajamento e objetivos de aprendizado. O refinamento é um ciclo iterativo de feedback e aperfei?oamento que deve continuar além do lan?amento inicial, assegurando que o jogo mantenha sua relevancia e eficácia educacional ao longo do tempo.

Building and refining your game involves a lot of testing and feedback. Conduct playtests with your target audience to gather insights and make necessary adjustments. This iterative process is key to ensuring the game is both educational and engaging.

Games are THE most effective behaviour-based teaching and change-based methodology available to teachers. We have made hundreds of games for NGOs, schools & classrooms. We ensure that the learner takes on the role of someone that we want them to relate to/understand/work with. The game play provides them the opportunity to explore the challenges, opportunities and vulnerabilities of another person/group/community in a way that few other methods can. The most important aspect of game development is to test the game with your target group and capture feedback to ensure that what they are learning aligns with what your game is intended to teach. I typically change any game we develop by about 20% based on feedback, so don't skip this step!

Accessibility is an important factor to consider. Ensure your game is accessible to a wide range of users, including those with disabilities. This might involve adding features like text-to-speech, subtitles, and adjustable difficulty levels. For more resources on game design, websites like Gamasutra or the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) provide valuable insights and case studies. Additionally, online courses on platforms like Coursera or Udemy offer structured learning paths for game development and design.

Don't fall into education game traps. In other words, don't stop the learning do a fun activity or game, and then get back to learning. Work the learning into the game challenge. For example, instead of walking up to the castle door, answering a question about science, and then the door lowering. Let there be a challenge that requires the knowledge and skills they are learning, and that challenge itself is part of the game. Maybe they have to calculate something, figure something out, ask a question, and demonstrate something. And the reward is both the learning and the good game engagement.