I chose to use the game Cyberchase Shape Quest! by PBS Kids.  The reason I chose this game is because I wanted to use a game that was available on multiple devices.  This game supports Apple IPad, Android Tablet, and Kindle tablet.   At first I thought this was a wide range, but on closer look I can see that it is still exclusive to a tablet.  I did download the game to my IPad after reading the 2 reviews available (one great and one said it did not work).  There were 5 people who rated the game in total and it had almost 5 out of 5 stars.  I can’t say for certain what the experience would be on all devices but I can speak to my experience with the IPad.  The game is visually appealing with good graphics and I can see that a child would like it.  It also has fun music playing in the background with lots of sound effects.  One odd thing that I did not realize about the game is that there are 3 games within Shape Quest: Patch the Path, hide and Seek and Feed the Critters.  For Patch the Path the user has to print off a map from the PBS website and hold the IPad up to the map.  This seemed like a hassle for game users, particularly children, and I would predict that the map becomes the problem of the parent and that holding an IPad camera up to a map to play a game is perhaps more challenging than an IPad game should be.

There was no tutorial, and perhaps there should have been, especially with the printed map which could be confusing for students.  The other parts were fairly simple to figure out if you had played games on an IPad before.  It also started simple with the games, easy levels and simple tasks.  I think that students get some level of satisfaction out of the game.  Each time they play an activity the pass or fail and can retry the level.  Levels are unlocked when the previous level is passed and students get a rating for each level (out of 3 stars).  There is a lot of visual and audio feedback for correct and incorrect moves letting the student know immediately if they are doing well.  I also think that the content was well masked to be fun.  While the player did have to carry our geometric tasks – for example feed the animal by using a sling shot motion to bounce the food off of walls and aim it at the animal’s mouth – it seemed more fun than geometric.  The content was very educational.

While I do think that young children would like this game, I think that it has a very narrow audience.  It caters to young children and children learning about geometry but it certainly has the feel of a young child’s game and I think junior and intermediate students would pass on playing this game.  I also did not like that it had external parts (the printable map).  I like that it is available on multiple devices but it does cater to a narrow audience.

 MarcoPolo Ocean Review

1. Integration
Regarding this application, it seems as though the developers had a certain educational agenda, and then tailored the application to suite that need. The game clearly aims at teaching younger children about the various elements that are contained in the ocean, and how vessels navigate these waters. If the application is upgraded at a cost, a number of other puzzles and levels emerge, however I did not investigate these options.

 2. Motivation & Think About Your Audience
There are a number of elements that would keep children engaged with this game. Firstly, it is predicated on an ‘open-sandbox’ mentality, in which students can explore the vast expanses of the ocean at their own leisure. The game itself is driven by visual and auditory cues, which also can serve as directives for children to follow. The various colors and tactile nature of the game, would easily keep children engaged.
3. Choose Your Game Wisely and Find it in the Content
This application does a good job at identifying the learning outcomes it wishes to achieve, and then designing activities centered around those outcomes. For example, one learning outcome is for children to expand their ocean related vocabulary. This is achieved through narrated games, which have students identify objects for which they have learned the vocabulary of.

4. Think Small; Don’t Be Overly Ambitious

As previously stated, I believe that this game meets the learning goals it sets out to achieve, in an age appropriate way. The target demographic for this game are parents of children in lower elementary school, and so the games which are suited for this demographic, involve low level cognitive and fine-motor skills.

5. Learning & Mastery
The game is both simple and intuitive to play. The layout is clean and crisp, and the audio quality provided by the narrator is clear and articulate. The colors in the game are vivid, and so children are able to identify objects easily. Mastery of the game is easily achieved, and the levels provided in the game allow for the mastery of a diversity of skills.
6. Soft Skills of 21st Century are Connected with Content
One of the strengths of this game is that it begins with lower cognitive skills (such as rote memorization) but then builds on these with more 21^st century learning skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. The puzzles that arise in the game would help lower elementary school students not only learn about the oceans, but also understand how the oceans work and the problems facing the worlds’ oceans.

7. Push Beyond the Curriculum Standards
The fact that this game can meet curricular standards, and then engage students in critical thinking activities, leads me to believe that it can push beyond curriculum standards. Furthermore, this game platform could be easily adapted to teach students about an infinite number of social ills.

8. Flexible and Adaptive
As previously mentioned, this game could be easily adapted to educate students on a variety of topics (i.e. deforestation, climate change, consumption), and this flexibility is a definite strength of the program.

9. Cost  & Low/ Right Technology
Considering this application is free (upgrades are available of course at a price), I would say the price was certainly right. Having read through a number of the reviews on iTunes, a number of parents have praised this game for being both educational and fun – a winning combination for any game.

Fun English Course By Study Cat

Compatibility: Universal

Audience: Ages 3-10

Content: English Language

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Fun English by Study Cat is a fun and engaging game for young English language learners (aged 3-10). Learning and play are well integrated into the framework of this game which includes a series of 10 themed lessons and over 50 games. It is clear that the educational goals (language learning) have been clearly outlined and embedded within the games of this language app. The Fun English course focuses on both vocabulary development and basic grammar concepts – which are integrated into fun themed games.

Instant feedback is offered to help leaners/players understand their progress and how they are performing in the game. Fun English emphasizes the entertainment value and the importance of play in the learning context. The game engages learners through games, songs, animation, and the “fun factor.”

Fun English does not have a continuous story line that is carried through the game. Rather, each lesson focuses on a different theme (i.e. Food, the house, the body, colours), and the games within that lesson allow players to develop a specific vocabulary set for that context. Each lesson also focuses on a different grammar concept (i.e. the verb “to be,” “adjectives,” “singular and plural”). Each lesson could stand alone, and lessons don’t necessarily need to be completed in a consecutive order, so there is not really any scaffolding happening between lessons. However, within each lesson, scaffolding occurs as each game within the lesson progressively becomes a little bit more difficult. In the lesson on “Colour,” for example, the lesson begins with games focusing on matching colours, and listening to the names of the colour while matching the colour to an image, and the games near the end of the lesson focus on the spelling of the different colours and building sentences with the colours.

The game seems fairly easy to comprehend and pick up. The games do not come with instructions (written or verbal), however, and so when playing a couple of the games, it took me a few minutes to figure out the objective or “aim of the game”. Overall, learners engage in a series of vocabulary and grammar related games to develop their English Language skills, and then receive feedback once each level is completed. There is a lot of repetition and reinforcement of the vocabulary being learned, and each game focuses on a different skill or aspect of language.

The visuals and animation are fairly basic, and many of the games resemble other popular games that kids may be familiar with from other contexts. It combines language with games that allow students to develop hand eye coordination and other motor skills.

In terms of 21st century skills, perhaps the process of game play and the skills necessary to navigate through this technology would qualify as “21st century skills.” This game has been designed for a primary aged audience (ages 3-10), so this game allows players to develop their motor skills, build on their ability to concentrate and remember, practice hand-eye coordination, and ultimately familiarize themselves with technology and gaming applications.

Regarding price, this game costs about 12.99, or each lesson could be purchased for 1.99 from the App store. There is also a free option that gives players access to a smaller selection of games.

This is a simple, yet engaging game that is appropriate for young learners in this age group. I think for a basic language game this could be useful, and fun for kids. However, this game does not go beyond the basic language development of simple vocabulary, and does not help students develop problem solving or critical thinking skills.

Integration: The CandyFactory is a universal iOS app that runs on the iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone mobile devices.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Motivation: All the games on CandyFactory consists of three game levels that challenge students to build a stronger understanding of proper and improper fractions. The game is based around a candy manufacturing factory where students must satisfy a customer’s order for a candy bar of a particular size.

Audience: Students, parents, teachers

Content: Number Sense and Numeration for Middle school grades

Learning and Mastery: Games on CandyFactory are simple and engaging. Needs not too much explanation. Becomes challenging as one progresses to next level.

It consists of three levels: Level 1 teaches proper fractions as part-whole concept. Level 2 teaches proper fractions as whole concept. Level 3 teaches proper as well as improper fractions as whole concept. A nominal score is displayed at the end of the game to show how well the student has done. Sound-based feedback and background music are provided.

Cost: Free

Review: I will this game as 4 star for the level of cognitive demand because this game is engaging students in exploring/identifying and understanding the nature of Fractions concept using complex and unpredictable ways to solve the issues at hand.