Reasons To Support Kids Creating Games

Supports Constructivist Approach To Teaching and Learning

Student centered/ Multisensory/Multipath/Multimedia/Colloboration/.Information
Exchange/Active, Exploratory, Inquiry/ Critical Thinking and Informed Decision
Making/ Proactive, Planned Action/Authentic, Real-World Context/

Demands the use of rich tasks with strong

understanding performances. Promotes higher
Is motivating levels of thinking
In the process of creating a games students must engage in
Motivation leads to learning. such as analysis and
many of the following:
• To break knowledge into its components (analysis) synthesis
• To ask a question on the basis of knowledge
• To explain knowledge in own words
• To bring examples of knowledge
• To create a simulation, model or metaphor
• To create knowledge on the basis of knowledge
• To generalize from an item of knowledge
• To identify knowledge in different contexts

Managing Self
Game programmers “manage their
Using Languages, symbols and text…
own learning” and move rapidly to
Making meaning
become autonomous learners.
Enables children to construct their
Game programmers set their own
understanding of the material they work with.
learning goals and develop
Students are motivated to acquire “deep
resilience.
understanding of the subject matter”. They
are motivated to learn how to learn.

Thinking
The self directed learner must seek out
Relating to Others required knowledge, assemble the information
Playing and Programming = social and transform it into a “coherent knowledge
Through creating a game to be played by others, students become structure”.
aware of their social relationships with the audience... A game is Game programming is a creative process. It is
created for its audience and students rapidly learn how to understand a safe environment in which to take risks.
their audience. Innovation is encouraged.
Complex games are put together by teams. In the classroom, teams Reflection, evaluation and metacognition are
naturally arise as students try to utilise the strengths of their important components of the game creating
classmates in a team project. process.
Learning is achieved in the authoring process and well as in playing the
game.