Video Games in Education

Criteria for evaluating games in education
1. The game has an educationally-accessible context (historical, contemporary, hard science-fiction).
2. Game play has genuinely educationally-accessible content.
3. Success depends on intelligent choices and decisions.
4. Failure exists and teaches when it happens. It is possible to lose.
5. The tutorial is crystal clear, and checks for understanding.
6. There are multiple victory conditions.
7. The feedback model is short - students can quickly see how a decision effects a larger whole picture.
8. The game becomes increasingly challenging and difficult.
Taken from:
http://www.mackenty.org/index.php/site/comments/criteria_for_evaluating_games_in_education/

Websites of note:
http://digiplay.info/
Research papers and other publications on the topic of understanding digital games.

http://powerup.wikispaces.com/ -
Mark Wagner is completing his PhD.

http://www.furl.net/member/ewagner -
A list of educational games.

http://www.socialimpactgames.com/index.php -
Entertaining games with Non- Entertaining goals. (Serious Games)

Games:
Starfall (K- 2)
Multiflier (Gr. 3)
Plupon (3- 6 warm up)
Third World Farmer (Gr. 6- 8)
Games for the Brain (Gr. 7-9)
?Speare (Gr. 10- 12) password needed
Not a game- Game Maker (Gr. 8- 12)