Electronic Education: Lighting the Way

No longer do I immediately think of that Tomb Raiding vixen Lara Croft when I plonk down on my sofa and pick up the controller to my Sony PlayStation.

Personally, I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not but I know language learners will benefit more from the PlayStation experience provided by Lightspan Adventures - a comprehensive K-2, 3-4 and 5-6 language learning series designed for the PlayStation or a multi-media equipped Microsoft Windows PC. I indulged in the PlayStation version.

Lightspan has also ventured off into a math series but this is hardly the time or the place.
I jumped straight into the str.at.e.s Riddle Roundup adventure for K-5/6. Lightspan follows the basic structure of most PlayStation games, a series of menus, options and of course game play. They incorporate video with graphic - the introduction is upbeat and imaginative, with planet shaped images from around our world disappearing into a psychedelic vortex. After meeting the game’s teacher I chose different mini-adventures to try to beat. The first I tackled involved the perilous task of try to escape an 18th century steamboat that was about to explode. I had to read the biographies of several American historical figures and solve three language puzzles: strategy, clue and word - based on the information in those biographies.

The game is definitely about positive reinforcement. When I made the right choice I was called a "genius" (flattery will get them everywhere), if I came up with the wrong answer I was enthusiastically told to "Try again." I really enjoyed the banter between the four "hint givers" during the word phase of the puzzle. Both written and audio hints and explanations support each puzzle.
Once I solved all seven puzzles, I was rescued just in time. On other adventures, I was forced to escape the San Francisco earthquake in 1906 and rushed to find a way off a train destined to crash.

Lightspan has definitely come up with the right formula to reach more young learners and make their language acquisition much more enjoyable. I understand the difficulty of entering a market dominated by fast-paced action-packed games but it is always better to see our youngsters learning language skills and history from a game console they would otherwise sit at for hours engaging in less than beneficial wanton destruction or sports simulations.