What is a Serious Game?
A Serious Game is a game with a primary purpose to provide learning or training and/or provide evidence of change in attitudes, beliefs, values or behaviors. Serious Games are often used to supplement traditional forms of instruction and to promote learning and application of skills in educational, health, military, government, corporate and game-based skills development.
Examples of Serious Games
Serious games can range from simple to complex software applications. Some examples of Serious Games include:
- Educational Games: educational and training simulators, simulations, math and science games, educational board games, and virtual laboratories.
- Health Games: physical and mental health simulations, physical fitness games, and medical and nutrition simulations.
- Government Games: simulations and simulators for military, civilian, first-responder trainings, policy-making, and crisis and emergency simulations.
- Corporate Games: market simulations, budget simulations, team building and problem-solving simulations.
- Game-Based Skills: board games, card games, strategy games, simulation games, and game-based assessment tools.
Benefits of Serious Games
Serious games can offer several benefits over traditional learning methods.
- Engaging: by using interactive and immersive digital technology, Serious Games can engage players in ways that surpass traditional forms of instruction.
- Motivating: these games can provide a sense of accomplishment, sense of purpose, and a feeling of success.
- Insightful: Serious Games can provide users with the ability to understand complex concepts and real-world situations in a safe and comfortable environment.
- Measurable: Serious Games provide data that allows for immediate and accurate assessment of user performance.
Conclusion
Serious Games are an effective way to engage learners and trainees in ways that traditional forms of instruction often cannot. By using interactive and immersive digital technology, serious games can provide users with the ability to understand complex concepts and real-world situations in a safe and comfortable environment. Furthermore, the data from these games can allow for immediate and accurate assessment of user performance.
