Diego's Underwater Adventure

By: Laura CossittLisa Loblaw

Meagan MaguireAshley Griffiths

Agenda

• Introduction of activity

• Software Questions

• Demo of the Game/Playing the Game

• Time for debrief

• Review of Bristol Board Info

• Our findings as ECE’s

How does it work?

What is the purpose of the software and how does it work?

(Show us!!)

Does it provide positive, formative feedback and achievement measures?

Feedback is very positive and encouraging Gives hints when you are not clicking the right object, talks to you the whole game

He tells you what to do, step by step. In one area of the game the feedback was a little weak, you had to copy the

pattern, and it was too hard to understand what you had to do. There was no tip provided and you could not proceed ahead.

Con’t . . . Does it provide opportunities for practice and review?

Make your way through levels on puzzles with categories as shapes and colors. Each level focuses on one of these but changes so that it presents the learning in a different way

Opportunity for repeating and review, but was determined that a child after playing the game once would most likely not want to play again

Tedious and meticulous

Approx. 20 minutes and that is seemingly too long for a child to stay focused

Does the software offer the learner choices and control?

Software does not offer any choices. Player does not get to pick the character The only way to get ahead is by answering questions that Diego provides There is no moving around and you can’t go on until you answer the question

Does it allow for social interaction?

Directly, does not offer or allow for social interaction as it is an individual player game

If another child was playing the game and they were beside each other it may offer the opportunity for each child to feed off one another and discuss

A cooperative strategy may be used with this game in the classroom An educator may bring this game to life inside the classroom allowing for plenty of social interactions with different ranges of difficulty to cater to specific needs of each individual child in the classroom

Developmental Appropriateness

Who is the software developmentally appropriate for? Why? 4 and 5 year old children

Software too basic for 6 year old children

Is the software appropriately challenging? Diego’s Underwater Adventure may be appropriately challenging Game does not in-cooperate multiple levels of difficulty for the 4-6 year olds Does not allow for the user to increase the difficulty level After repetitive play this game may cause boredom and disengagement from the user If game offered ranging levels of difficulty and choice in options it would increase attention from the user

Does it have appropriate media and activities?

Colors are bright and funScreen the game is on is small and does not allow for the visuals to be seen to full potentialThe colors in items get brighter and dimmer as you playThe game fosters only minimal motivationAnimation is never stationary which gives the player something to look at Sound is incorporated and the characters talk to the player and give instructions

LEV VYGOTSKY

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The ZPD is the distance between a student’s ability to perform a task under adult guidance and/or with peer collaboration and the student’s ability solving the problem independently. According to Vygotsky, learning occurred in this zone

Professional Application of

Software:Is the Software consistent with curriculum and learning outcomes?

6 Learning Outcomes:• Personal & Social Development • Science & Technology• Language • Health & Physical Activity• Mathematics • The Arts

Does the software have high quality technical components?

Graphics are quite clearSufficient detail in each level and colors are bright and engaging Navigation of the game, Diego tells you what to do throughout Child has to pay attention, there is no where that the player can ask for help or clarification Top of the page there are buttons that navigate the player away from the page and without assistance from adult the child would not be able to figure out how to get back Sound is prompted to the characters to give direction and instructions and it is repetitive

HOW FUN WAS THIS?

Does it present material in an enjoyable and interesting manner?

This software game had no different age levels or difficulty levels Game was all about trying to accomplish one goal Motivation was to put the moon back together One person game with no social learning Taught underwater animals, shapes, counting and colours It was not a competitive or very exciting game

PROS AND CONS

Is the software accessible?

The software will be accessible to students in a kindergarten classroom under the following conditions: Computer access Headphones Library Free Web Based * World Wide Web

What are the barriers?

Unable to navigate on own Web link must be typed Cannot arrive directly on web

page Create Link

Conclusion . . .

It was determined that the game would most benefit a child the age of five or six as they grasp the concepts of reading simple words and recognizing various animals from nature

As ECE’s who have all worked in a classroom with this age group we would not recommend it to be played within the childcare setting. The game is long and meticulous and would not keep a child’s interest.

We found that although there is language, and literacy in both English and Spanish, that it is limited and very repetitive.

We found that there was no chance for the player to ask for help if they don’t get the task right. There was no hints and no help when an error was made or if the concept of patterning was not grasped

References Cartoon Watcher. (2011). Retrieved October 29, 2011 from http://www.cartoonwatcher.com/go-diego-go/go-diego-go-games/underwater-game-diego.php

Kindergarten Program. (2006). Retrieved November 1, 2011 from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindercurrb.pdf)

Nick Jr. (2011). Retrieved October 28, 2011 from http://www.nickjr.com/kids-ad-entry.html?url=/kids-games/diegos-underwater-adventure.html

Nova Development. (2011). Retrieved October 28, 2011 from http://www.novadevelopment.com/software/diego-129004

Red Feather Journal. (2010). Retrieved October 29 ,

2011 from http://redfeatherjournal.org/1_2_Sept_2010/Chappell_Dora.pdf