subtlety in educational games
Half the papers I read say “Be subtle about your learning! Players learn best when they’re having so much fun with a game, that they don’t even realize they’re learning!”. Meanwhile, the other half say “Be communicative about your learning goals! Force the player to engage with the topic! Let them learn at their own pace, but make sure they know they’re doing an educational activity!”
Some questions that help you decide what direction to go:
- Are students approaching this out of their own interest, or are they being assigned the topic?
- Is this game the only opportunity you have to present your learning? Will there be a discussion or follow-up afterwards?
- Will students be tested on their learning afterwards, or is this a more casual experience, one where it’s not critical for students to internalize every aspect of the learning?
