Every year I volunteer to run a category within the GEE! Award in the category of informal games. This year our panel of judges select GASHA GO! World (play it here).
The three judges were: Ashlyn Sparrow, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Chicago Press; Chris Baker, a public library consultant and games and learning consultant with the library services team of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; and Nick Martinez, Vice President of Education and Engagement at the Museum of the City of New York.
GASHA GO! World is a really easy to access flash-style game that invites predominantly a K-2nd grade audience into a fictional world that includes these miniature creatures called Gashlings. Developed by Georgia Public Broadcasting, the Georgia Department of Education, and FableVision Studios, the game includes minigames, animated videos, vocabulary cards, and additional support materials in both English and Spanish. Crafted to align with Georgia’s computer science (CS) framework, it emphasizes computational thinking, digital citizenship, innovative design, and creative communication. The game invites players to join this world and help the Gashlings to solve different problems using critical thinking.
Judges appreciated that GASHA GO! World focused on a number of different minigames that got players into the mindset of computational and logical thinking, while also being mindful of the fact that you are also making things for other people. “It really was great to help people start to identify as people who can problem solve, and there are multiple different ways to problem solve, but also that we need to be kind human beings.” They found it to be a really great example of a whimsical world that makes sense for young children while also allowing for a playful problem solving modality. At the same time, the sequencing for the game was really great. “You got to learn things pretty early in a simple way and then apply that in increasing complex situations across the multiple levels of a game type. And so as you play, you learn.”
Here is a summary of the areas where GASHA GO! World excelled at reflecting the learning principles described by James Paul Gee:
- Agency: The game allows players to experience consequences for their actions, with the possibility of failing a puzzle but being able to try again. This low-stakes environment encourages experimentation and understanding of problems.
- Customization: The game excels in customization, allowing players to build avatars, create stuffed animals with different designs, and customize glitter globes by unlocking various stickers and pieces through mini-games. This feature serves as the glue connecting all mini-games and provides a personal touch to the gaming experience.
- Manipulation: Manipulation in the game is specific to each mini-game. The ability to manipulate objects varies depending on the problem to be solved, with different mini-games requiring different types of manipulation.
- Sequencing: The game is strong in sequencing, especially evident in a cleanup game where complexity increases progressively. Players learn how each item impacts the game world and how to sequence actions to solve increasingly complex problems.
- Pleasantly Frustrating: While adults might not find the game frustrating, it is designed to present challenges to younger players. The need to think about sequences and hold multiple combinations in mind can provide a pleasantly frustrating experience that encourages repeated attempts and learning.
- Cycle of Expertise: The game does a decent job of exploring the cycle of expertise by introducing new challenges that build on previous knowledge. Each mini-game encourages problem-solving from different perspectives, whether it be matching, deconstructive reasoning, or constructive reasoning.
- Just in Time & On Demand: The game scaffolds challenges well, focusing on one skill at a time in each mini-game. Players can progress at their own pace, with new levels unlocking based on their readiness and achievements.
- Skills Under Strategies: The game emphasizes mastering different skills across various levels and mini-games. To progress, players must become proficient in the skills each mini-game is designed to teach.
- System/Model-based Thinking: The game touches on system or model-based thinking by linking mini-game outcomes to the creation of a snowglobe. Players think about what they gain from each mini-game and how it relates to other parts of the game, promoting a holistic approach to problem-solving and creativity.
- Situated Meaning: The game creates a playful and whimsical world with a cartoonish, colorful design. While it lacks a straightforward narrative, it provides enough context and connectedness to engage the target audience. The playful themes and activities, like karaoke and locker puzzles, contribute to the situated meaning and motivate players to explore and solve problems in this imaginative setting.
Finally, GASHA GO! World is particularly well suited to this category of informal learning games. “I think of parents being able to just say: Hey, I want a really whimsical world to bring my kiddo into for problem solving and asking questions about different things.” Or perhaps the setting is a library, or a museum. “It’s a really cool way to just invite kids to game and problem solve while gaming.”
