Fun teaching ! Fun Tech-ing ! Interactive Educational games for Young Learners
Abstract
Language
learning is really
a difficult task. Much
effort is required at every moment and must be
maintained over a long period of time and some motivating, encouraging, innovative and attracting materials may be
needed. Therefore,
games may help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work. Games also help the teacher to create contexts in which the language is
useful and meaningful. Games are highly motivating because they are amusing and
interesting. They can be used to give practice in all language skills and be
used to practice many types of communication. Nothing can be more natural than learning
through playing games (Prensky, 2001a); therefore, it is reasonable to assume
that integrating games into language courses would benefit students’ learning
experiences. In addition, interactive games allow students to achieve practical
knowledge as well. In contrast to books and movies, computer games are
interactive and allow for socialization and participation in the language
learning process (Prensky, 2001a). Using interactive games to facilitate
learning in educational settings has a number of recognized benefits. For most
students, games are highly engaging and motivating. Games provide real-time
feedback and built-in goals that can motivate students to improve. In addition,
students must make decisions as they play games, and they can see the results
of those decisions right away and use that information to inform their next
decisions. Our present day, the use of educational games in learning
environments is an increasingly relevant trend. The motivational and immersive
traits of game-based learning have been studied, but the systematic design and
implementation of educational games remain an elusive topic. In this study some
relevant requirements for the design of educational games in online education
via technology and web 2.0 softwares will be
analyzed, and a general game design method that includes adaptation and
assessment features for young learners will be
proposed. Finally, a particular implementation of that design will be
described in light of its applicability to other implementations and EFL class
settings depending upon the outcomes of Ministry of National Education in
Turkey
Keywords
interactive language games,technology,young learners,language teaching
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