Educational Game Idea.

[conradin]

Hi all,
Im thinking of making a interactive / multiple choice game for the purpose of teaching hardware details. As in an application that can help technology geek newbies to learn enough about computer hardware and identification to be useful. At this point its only an idea, so I'm curious if there is any interest in this idea, but also if such a thing already exists.

[Smart Viking]

I'm definitely interested.

The most important part is to use good, understandable information for the user, and have small questions here. Change stuff, like visually present stuff and questions differently here and there so that it wont get boring.

It is also important to have a clean look and design.

It should be the kinda app that you use once or twice, then forget about it, or the exact opposite.

I'm all for it, it is always nice to present learning in new fun ways. Maybe people will use it, maybe not, but who cares, it can be a learning experience to make it, there's always something positive about doing a project. :)

[OlyPerson]

I like the idea, but I'm curious what kind of questions you would ask. Any examples of questions?

[conradin]

I like the idea, but I'm curious what kind of questions you would ask. Any examples of questions?

Well, questions could range from absolutely basic, to something you'd most likely have to look up. On a daily basis I meet people who think their desktop computer is a CPU.

That aside, http://mwolk.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/gigabyte_conroe_motherboard.jpg

Can you point to the PCI card Slot? (click)

How many SATA connections does this Motherboard have? ( 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 )? Without assuming that there are any pin header extensions, etc...

And so on for how questions would go. Of course I would put in enough support information to make component identification worth while.

Im not saying this would be the most enchanting approach, just what I was thinking. Something else may well be more fun.

As for what I might code this into if it doesn't exist elsewhere:
Gambas, I bet would make this super easy. Or doing it with javascript, or php, made to run on a web-page.

[OlyPerson]

It would be cool to have a "Question of the Day" and then archives. Will be interesting to see this if you go through it.

[Senesence]

On a daily basis I meet people who think their desktop computer is a CPU.

I believe that. :)

[conradin]

It would be cool to have a "Question of the Day" and then archives. Will be interesting to see this if you go through it.

Is this a vote for a web app?
(I go through with everything. though, this is in the fun realm, and I have 2 jobs so it might be a while)

[Neoncamouflage]

I'll be honest, I don't know half as much as I really should about computer hardware but I just can't ever find the motivation to look into it. I'd play the game though. :)

[lykwydchykyn]

What'd be nice is to make the program generic, so that a "teacher" could put in any kind of picture, and label or tag regions of the picture, and then generate an activity for the "student" to identify the regions when they're highlighted.

Such a program could have a lot of application.