Fight trolls with math!
Saturday, April 15th, 2006I am really impressed with this game. It’s engaging, the graphics are great, it has a cool adventure environment, and it teaches math. Seriously cool.
As you (a small monster) run through the world, you meet up with puzzles that teach you multiplication. For example, you have to get the question right in order to open a door. It’s not timed, it’s not threatening, and you have a sense of achievement when you get it right.
Once you get through the door, you are met by a troll blocking your way. This is the test. You have to answer the same question you just practiced to get past the troll, but this time it’s timed. If you answer wrong or time runs out, the troll pushes you back, but you get another shot. Each time you get it right, the troll is pushed back. Answer it right enough times and he runs away and gives you a key.
With each successive troll, you have to answer all previous questions in addition to the one you just learned. The last troll on the level makes you go through the cumulative multiplication table for that level.
It’s fun, you have instruction, practice, testing, and feedback, and it’s exciting!
I really wish we could get this level of engagement in our corporate training. There’s really nothing saying we can’t, it would just look different.
Imagine a game where you are looking for a job. Your character goes to a career counselor for instruction and practice on interviewing skills. At the end of that level, they have a phone interview, and if they pass that, different levels of interviews with different levels of management until they are ultimately hired or rebuffed.
Or take the same scenario from the other side. Your character is the hiring manager who needs to learn how to interview someone, plus all the HR policies and procedures that go along with that. They would have to get instruction, then start the hiring process by reviewing resumes and choosing who to interview. It could be a very engaging course.
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