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Creative Games sans Violence?

Posted by Cliff on from the engaging-the-intellect dept.

jolyon_jnr asks: "I'm looking for games to use in an unusual educational setting: a school within a Juvenile Detention Centre. I don't set policy, so the 'no violence' is a fixed criteria. I want to engage students' creativity and problem solving skills, without using 'boring educational software'. I've thought of Lemmings and The Incredible Machine. What other suggestions can you offer? Please bear in mind that most students have very low literacy levels, but will learn if motivated sufficiently."

5 of 604 comments (clear)

  1. Mindrover by Evangelion · · Score: 5, Interesting


    Cognitoy makes an excellent (and engrossing) game called Mindrover, in which you have to design and program a vehicular robot to do certain things (follow waypoints, chase another robot, or destroy the opposing robot).

    I don't know if a vehicle-on-vehicle rocket launcher qualifies as 'violence' or not (since these are very clearly toy robots going at it), but it's certainly an awesome game, even apart from it's educational value.

    Loki has also ported it to Linux, and thier port is flawless.

  2. I know it sucks, but... by Spagornasm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Did you consider any of the Myst series? Those can engage the eye candy requirement, and also help them develop complex problem solving skills...that is, if they understand different bases and number theory :-)...

    --

    When nuance becomes the only objective we lose the ability to function
  3. Low literacy levels? by liquidweb · · Score: 5, Interesting

    To suggest a solution as well as a direct statement of their literacy, I'd suggest anything in the "You Don't Know Jack" series. Seriously though good stuff.

    --
    --- Matthew Hill
    "To quote the self is an act of the self riteous and uninitiated sub-moronic" - Matthew Hill
    1. Re:Low literacy levels? by JabberWokky · · Score: 5, Interesting
      The biggest problem with any trivia game is that it requires that you learn the trivia in your own time, and it does not really teach any information.

      Having taught in a "school within a school", I can tell you that what seems to work for your mental frame does not translate. That is *not* to say that the students are dumb... in fact, some of the single mothers and drug addicts (yes, Florida throws them in together; genius) are well read and/or were good students before they entered the alternative systems. Also, they get all the nice new computer systems.

      There is hope for these kids, but even more than "mainstream" students, you have to focus on their individual issues. And (and I hate this as much as you do), you have to pick which ones to give up on to focus on the ones you *can* help.

      Bah - there's a reason I *used* to teach. Maybe I will again... but not until I feel I can do it without becoming irrevocably cynical.

      --
      Evan

      --
      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  4. Re:hmmm by garcia · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder if The Sims would have a good or bad impact on them. Would they want to have the families fail and fight or would they learn from the positive growth of the people within the game?

    It would be interesting to see how each child would react.