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Gaming:

Principle

All our life long, we learn. During childhood, we learn primarily through games. Learning through games has been proved, by well respected cognitive psychologists like Jean Piaget, to be the most efficient learning mode for young students. It is natural, instinctive, spontaneous and fun. For adolescents and adults alike, it is still a good way to develop skills. Games also help to bring communities together for fun, entertainment, laughter and communication. For young students, all subjects are introduced through games media. The "fun" aspect promotes creative and flexible thinking, within a set of rules. Students imagine ideas and handle problems from different perspectives. They learn the process of problem solving. This method is better than dry lecturing and formal learning.
Games are tiny pieces of reality with rules. They allow the brain to process the input of perceived environment variables that generate behavioural, emotional and intellectual adjustments to the environment of the person. Because they are simulations of the reality, a lot can be learnt without the risk attached to "real" actions.

Motivation

The initial impulse to play a game is based on different motivation for everybody. Usually social, ego or intellectual, it has to be entertaining. Somebody brings out a board game because she/he wants to do something with somebody else, like a team-work, together. However, in most games, one spends all the efforts trying to bankrupt someone else, destroy their armies - in other words, to get rid of one another! The cultural habit of competing and confronting adversaries runs deep. Some games are promoting conflictual relationships where other players are enemies to kill (for example "chess" where losing is very unpleasant). Even in our current society of competition, numerous sociological studies have proven that groups featuring the spirit of cooperation are however doing better on the long-run, and this is better for the society as a whole. Beside competition, the objectives should be realized also by cooperative means. "I win with you", not "I win against you". It should be a "win-win" conclusion. The winner shares tips in order to get more resistance the next time, more exciting challenges. The loser eagerly learns how to play in a different way, in order to win.

Particularity

All OakEdu's games provide the opportunity to experience sharing and caring behaviour, within a mix of intellectual competition/emulation, in an atmosphere of cooperation. Learning is also much easier when sharing questions and doubts can be openly voiced out without much consequence. In this cooperative mode of play, all questions are allowed and there is nothing at stake. However, some games are based on the concept of destruction, and in those cases, the tutor puts the emphasis on refining the best computations rather than on destroying the other players; in those kinds of games, it is about how to win while leaving a positive feeling in the head with the loser. Typically, the winner can suggest ways to be challenged, explain why a move is better or what strategic goal could be targeted. The best player is proudly given a strong handicap in the next session. Some other games are promoting only friendly peaceful interactions (role playing games in which even the player losing her/his character can still have fun). Taken up by the thrill of the game, impersonating a pirate, a trader, a general or a manager, one soon learns how to pick on the other person's weaknesses in order to win the game. 

Leveling up

People of different ages and abilities should be able to play side by side, each making their best contribution. In a cooperative game, someone young can play with others older and not worry about being eliminated. "This is just a game", losing is not the end of the world, this is just a feedback to be learnt upon in order to do better next time. We promote an atmosphere where there is no big fear to lose but still there is place for explained victories. At the end of the game, there is always a "debriefing" on why the winner won and what could have been done better by the losers. Thus, the level of play increases gradually, up to the point where strategy and higher skills make the difference. The students have many opportunities to activate their "gray cells", tackle puzzling challenges, decide on their own, experiment and learn on several levels. All our games are designed to offer realistic challenges, appealing and feasible. Some players may initially blame the game mechanics but the tutor promotes the following attitude change. The game is just a tool, it is not good or bad, it all depends on what you want to do with it. If you want to dominate and smash your opponent but you get to lose the game, of course you are frustrated, but only because the initial expectation was not respectful of the other or was not in a cooperative atmosphere. The frustration energy should be redirected to learn how to get along with the various parameters (token, cost, choices, rules) and test out which strategy functions better, in order to do better the next time.

Transferable skills

While playing, students are learning about their own limits and strengths, learning about situations, contexts, environment best practices, creativity, academic knowledge, social skills, etc. Players learn how to forecast, budget, compute figures, prepare, plan ahead, imagine backup plans, listen, follow directions, memorize rules, take turns, agree on convention, deal with conflict, negotiate, balance cooperation/competition, develop winning behavioural patterns, etc.

Aside from all these serious considerations, some people just want to share an enjoyable and challenging time with friends. We feel that cooperative games will prove to be that friendly form of fun. More details at gamingcurriculum.

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