Activity 4: Learn how to use a new game

Image source: Go Animate

This task required me to “learn how to use a new tool, software, or game, and write about your experience.” Given the growing popularity of online games in recent years, I decided to review a new children’s game. Computer games can be great educational tools for children, fostering cognitive and social development using a fun and engaging platform. When selecting a game to trial, I imagined myself as a librarian given the task of designing a library program to teach young children about diversity. The two games I chose—Dora’s World Adventure and Dora’s Pony Adventure—both promote cultural diversity. They are based on the popular cartoon character Dora the Explorer, a multilingual Latina girl whose best friend is a monkey named Boots. The games were free to download through the Nick Jr. website.

In Dora’s World Adventure, players can visit four different countries using a virtual map for navigation. The countries include France, Russia, China, and Tanzania. By clicking on a country, Dora invites the player to join her in saying hello in each country’s language (e.g. “nǐ hǎo” in Chinese, or “bonjour” in French). The player is then transported to a new scene which reflects the theme of the country. Players must collect friendship bracelets dispersed throughout the scene while avoiding running into a themed animal. After visiting a country, players receive a stamp on their passport representing a landmark of each country. Nick Jr. encourages parents to print off the passport at the end of the game and discuss with their children the different countries visited. Overall, this game encourages children to discover and explore, while developing their mouse skills and teaching them about different cultures. Cultural diversity is also promoted in Dora’s Pony Adventure, in which Dora refers to objects in both English and Spanish. The game involves picking a pony and competing at an equestrian tournament, with actions carried out using both keyboard and mouse. The game is designed to develop a child’s ability to make independent decisions, overcome specific obstacles, and take responsibility for their virtual pony. 

The games themselves were very easy to use—my intention was not to improve my game playing skills, but to assess each game’s suitability for young children and its value as a tool to promote cultural diversity. Both games were simplistic yet stimulating, which made them perfect for a younger age bracket. As both games are played using an online platform, libraries do not face the access and licensing issues presented by console games (provided they abide by the Nick Jr. Terms of Use agreement). In addition to incorporating such games into library programs and online resource pages, libraries can provide parents with independent access to these games via the library wifi. Overall, I think these games would prove highly effective as activities to educate children about cultural diversity. Dora’s role in promoting cultural awareness is nicely summarised by Chappell and Haraway, who describe Dora as “a guide whose purpose is to introduce her own language to outsiders, and to translate for them when they encounter unfamiliar contexts” (Chappell & Haraway, 2010, p. 16). The use of multilingualism and exploration of global borders in these games not only teaches children about different cultures, but also acts as a motivator for parents to further develop their child’s knowledge of other languages and cultures.

Word count: 538.

Bibliography 

Chappell, D., & Haraway, D. (2010). “Better Multiculturalism” Through Technology: Dora the Explorer and the Training of the Preschool Viewer (s). Red Feather Journal, 1 (2), pp. 11-25.