Researching Games

I researched all three topics and identified some games, games simulations, some research, and lesson ideas (that could spark ideas for a serious game). 

Part 1: What did you find? 

Topic: ISTE Computational Thinker Standard (with 4 sub points): 
  • Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
    • Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
    • Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
    • Students break problems into component parts, extract key information and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
    • Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.

1. Codenames (game) 

Type: Card Game -- available in both a physical and digital format.
Game Description: (from https://czechgames.com/en/codenames/description/ The two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agents. Their teammates know the agents only by their CODENAMES. The teams compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first. Spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Their teammates try to guess words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. And everyone wants to avoid the assassin.

We play Codenames as a family, which is one of the main reasons I made the connection to computational thinking. In my game play experience, this game emphasizes deduction, strategic thinking, and word association -- all thinking skills needed in computational thinking.

Where to Find the Game?
  • Physical card game is available in game stores, Amazon, Target, etc. 
  • Digital version is available on Steam and Codenames online (official browser-based version at codenames.game)
  • App version available in both iOS and Google Play. 


Core Dynamic could be collecting or possible outwit. The main game play is word association and deduction. Players give one-word clues to help their team guess the correct words on a 5x5 grid of words (25 cards). Clue-givers must avoid giving clues that would lead their partner to choose opponents' words or the assassin word. C
lue-givers must think strategically about how multiple words relate. 




Narrative: There is no formal narrative, but the game is designed around spies and secret agents. The words on the grid represent “codenames,” and clue-givers act as spymasters guiding their teams to identify the correct agents.

Intended Players: 
  • Casual players, board game enthusiasts, and educators
  • Typically played in groups of 4 or more (with at least one clue-giver per team).
  • Ages 10+, but younger players can participate with simpler word sets.
Purpose: The purpose of Codenames is for entertainment. While not intentionally educational, it does foster critical thinking, vocabulary and language skills, abstract thinking -- all of which help make it useful in educational settings for problem-solving and computational thinking practice. Teachers have used Codenames for language learning, vocabulary building, and teaching computational thinking principles -- specifically abstraction and pattern recognition. 

IDEA: The game could be adapted for pre-service teachers by challenging them to think about categorization and word relationships, similar to breaking down problems into components (ISTE Computational Thinking Standard).

**

2. Zoombinis (game) 

Zoombinis is an educational puzzle game that has been adapted for various platforms, making it accessible to a wide audience. 

  • Available for Windows and MacOS operating systems for desktop. On Steam. 
  • Available for iOS and Android Devices 
  • The game is also available for Kindle devices through the Amazon Appstore

Description: Zoombinis is a puzzle game that engages players in guiding small creatures through a series of challenges, each requiring logical reasoning, pattern recognition, and problem-solving. The game emphasizes computational thinking skills such as sequencing, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking. (Zoombinis: Education) 

Intended Audience: Originally designed for younger audiences, Zoombinis has been effectively used in educational settings to teach computational thinking principles. Zoombinis research: https://www.terc.edu/projects/zoombinis-research/

Core Dynamic is Solution with puzzle solving/problem-solving through pattern recognition and logical reasoning. Players guide small blue creatures (Zoombinis) through a series of puzzles that require analyzing relationships, recognizing patterns, and developing step-by-step solutions. There is also a dynamic of exploration. 

Purpose: Educational with lots of entertainment. To develop and strengthen logical reasoning/thinking, problem-solving skills and computational thinking skills. 

Thoughts: Components of Zoombinis that could be used for developing a simulation game or serious game for pre-service teachers and computational thinking: 

  • This game encourages systems thinking, which could be an essential skill for integrating computational thinking across subjects. 
  • What if.....a training simulation could be a classroom environment where teachers must identify students challenges with problem-solving by identifying patterns in student responses. 

**

3. Lightbot (game) 

Lightbot is accessible across multiple platforms. There is a free version available for web browsers or an app for iOS and Android devices.

Description: Lightbot is a puzzle game that introduces players to programming concepts. Players guide a robot to light up tiles by creating sequences of commands, teaching procedures, loops, and conditionals. The game introduces concepts such as sequencing, procedures, loops, and conditionals, making it an engaging tool for learning programming. lightbot.com

Intended Audience: It is suitable for learners of all ages interested in developing a foundational understanding of programming logic. Educators worldwide have incorporated Lightbot into their curricula to introduce students to coding and computational thinking.  lightbot.com

Type: Digital Puzzle Game

Core Dynamic: The core dynamic of Lightbot is solution: puzzle-solving through programming logic. Players must guide a robot to light up blue tiles by creating a sequence of commands. The game uses a drag-and-drop interface where players assemble instructions to move, turn, jump, and activate a light.

Narrative: There is not a traditional narrative. The game focuses on puzzle-solving through logic rather than storytelling. However, the game mimics the experience of a programming where the player writes code (sequence of commands) for the robot. 

Purpose: Educational. Introduces computational thinking and basic coding concepts in an engaging way.

Potential lessons: https://code.org/curriculum/course3/1/Teacher

___________________________________________________________________________________

Topic: Use APA for Submission and Work


1. Game Title: APA Psych Out: http://www.citationgame.org/play.php?game=6


Description: This plays like a quiz. An example is given and the game asks an identification question. 

Purpose: The purpose of this game was educational -- to check understanding of APA style. 

Core Dynamic: This felt much like a quiz and not like a game. If I were to name a core dynamic, it would be collecting -- basically collecting points. 

Narrative: There is no narrative. 

Intended Audience: This plays as if it is for college students learning APA style. 

**

2. Game Title: Zombie APA Game: https://brittanyoneill.itch.io/zombieapagame 

This game can be found on Itch.Io 



Description: Zombies have invaded the library and players must correctly answer the questions on APA style in order to earn components of an antidote in order to cure the zombies. Core dynamic is player is presented with an APA challenge. They must answer it correctly in order to collect a component of the antidote. 

Purpose: The purpose of this game is educational -- to check understanding and knowledge of APA style. 

Intended Audience: The intended audience for this game includes first-year university students who are new to APA Style, as well as upper-level and transfer students needing a refresher. 

Core Dynamic: Collecting - using a more quiz-based progression and the zombie narrative, the players collect "components" for an antidote. 

Narrative: Zombies have overtaken a library, players have to answer questions related to APA Style to collect pieces of an antidote to cure the zombies.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Topic: Accessibility

Game Title: Accessibility Maze - https://de.torontomu.ca/wa/maze.html

I found this game online. Can be played in the Chrome or Safari browser.

Description: Accessibility Maze is an educational game designed to give players a firsthand/empathy-driven experience to better understand how those with visual/hearing/more challenges navigate digital products/web. This is not a typical role-play board game, but it is a role-play(ish) game because the player must navigate what someone with challenges must face. The game presents players with common accessibility challenges they must navigate, simulating the experiences of those who deal with these issues daily. It educates along the way providing brief lessons on how to identify, prevent, and resolve these barriers.


Found these learning objectives: 

  • Learn how images, and other visuals, are made accessible
  • Understand how web forms are made accessible
  • Experience how timed elements can create barriers
  • Discover why mouse-only features are inaccessible to many people

Purpose: to introduce those new to web/digital accessibility. Educational. 


Core Dynamic: Players must overcome accessibility barriers. They must figure out ways to work around these obstacles. There is an element of exploration as players interact with a digital environment in order to highlight inaccessible elements. The game also includes Solution dynamic, as players must find solutions. 


Narrative: The player learns that Professor X has discovered the secret to make the entire world accessible. It is a maze underneath the school! The player has to navigate throughout the different levels of mazes, collecting gems, reading the mini lessons about accessibility, collecting keys, and solving any puzzles to open up the locks. 



Intended Audience: educators, students, and the general public interested in enhancing their knowledge of accessibility.


NOTE: The experience encourages perspective-taking by putting players in a situation where they feel the frustrations of navigating inaccessible digital content. 


***


Game Title: Accessibility Trivia https://teachaccess.org/resources/accessibility-trivia/

Description: The Accessibility Trivia game, developed by Teach Access, is an educational game designed to raise awareness and knowledge about accessibility. Released in honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), the game comprises six rounds, each focusing on different aspects of accessibility:
  1. Disability History & Facts
  2. Notable Figures with Disabilities
  3. Disability and the Media
  4. Digital Accessibility
  5. Advancing Accessibility in Society
  6. Additional Questions Just For Fun
Core Dynamic: trivia-based where players answer questions in a quiz format to test and expand their understanding of accessibility topics. 

Narrative: While there isn't a specific narrative, the game is structured to progressively educate players through themed rounds, making the learning process engaging and informative. 

Purpose: Educational - to help educate others about the different aspects of accessibility. 

Intended Audience: educators, students, and the general public interested in enhancing their knowledge of accessibility.

ople


Part 2: What have you learned about games in your topic area?

Computational Thinking: 

From what I researched, here is what I learned: 
1. Many of the computational thinking games are designed around puzzle-solving, pattern recognition, and problem decomposition. 
2. Games like Zoombinis and Lightbot immerse players in problem-solving environments where they have to identify patterns, create logical sequences, and iterate on solutions —all part of teaching CT.
3. Codenames, though not explicitly a CT game, offers valuable abstraction and pattern recognition elements that align with CT principles.

APA:

From what I researched, here is what I learned: 

1. Games that teach APA guidelines seem to be simple and are basically structured skill-building. 
2. The narrative and role-playing elements in Zombie APA demonstrate that adding game mechanics to a more rigid academic skill can be engaging. 

Accessibility In Digital Products: 

From what I researched, here is what I learned: 

1. Because of the personal nature of accessibility, empathy-building through simulation seemed to be a key theme in game design. 
2. Accessibility Maze was experiential, which connects with the nature of the content. 

Commonalities Across the Games

There were several commonalities across the different games. 
1. Almost all games involve identifying patterns, testing strategies, and refining solutions. 
  • Lightbot - debugging code
  • Accessibility Maze - adjusting accessibility features
  • Zombie APA - figuring out APA rules. 
2. Most of the game provided immediate feedback. Whether it was a right/wrong answer or a locked/unlocked messages -- players could make corrections based on feedback of choices.

3. Not all, but most of the games I played had a bit of narrative and/or role-playing, which increased engagement.