WRITING EDUCATIONAL GAMES

A LITERATURE REVIEW WITH AN ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH

Abstract

This article explores the writing of educational games, outlining the key elements of games and their methodologies for selecting educational content. The aim is to consider how to write educational games, utilizing a literature review methodology. The instructional approaches, traditional and alternative, form a polarized narrative, leading to reflection on the best way to adapt educational games to the curriculum. The traditional approach teaches the elaboration of instructional objectives before the design of educational games. The alternative approach proposes a storytelling-based model for selecting instructional content. Stories are created by emotional conflicts and interests, using these conflicts to create a narrative of antagonists favors engagement and meaningful learning. Appropriate technical tools employed in the creation of educational games should always be studied, aiming at the efficiency of game design and the effectiveness of learning. The main conclusion of this work is that the traditional and alternative approaches are not antagonistic, and both can be integrated in the writing of educational digital games.