P5 pupils have spent time in their ICT lessons investigating the simulation Rollercoaster Tycoon. This game, which is rather old now, is an excellent means of showing how game play can work within the curriculum.
Students have to design a theme park from scratch, planning where the rides are positioned and ensuring they have the funds to purchase them. They also need to manage the staff, ensuring there are enough to run the establishment, co-ordinate publicity, set a research budget and manage their finances.
The type of organisational, planning and strategic skills outlined above are crucial if players are to succeed in Rollercoaster Tycoon... in fact, these skills are pretty crucial in the real world too!
As part of their work, P5 students are also carrying out tasks in Literacy, using the game as a stimulus for writing. In may ways this is similar(not quite on the same level!) to the groundbreaking work carried out by Tim Rylands in the UK using the computer game Myst.
From next year all year groups at Kellett will have a simulation/game playing module built into their ICT studies, with Key Stage Three students looking at elements of games design too.
There is a groundswell of opinion amongst experts that this type of work will become far more common in schools. Influential voices such as Marc Prensky and Derek Robertson are keen advocates of games based learning and research studies looking at the use of games such as Dr Kawashima and Nintendogs are already taking place now.
