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Abstract

Despite the literacy rate in India going up to 74.04 per cent according to the 2011 census, significant challenges persist in providing quality education to the urban and rural masses in India. In this article, I argue that the substantial disparities in access to education as well as the delivery of cost-effective and quality education can be reduced to a great extent by involving the use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) that rely on personal computers and databases, telecommunication networks, Internet and mobile phones, etc. for educating children and adults alike in an interactive, entertaining manner. Quality education cannot be merely achieved by the ‘chalk-and talk’ method anymore. Edutainment, a state-of-the-art concept of learning that combines education with entertain- ment, is rapidly gaining ground in India where the online gaming market is expected to reach $496 million by 2013. India is currently witnessing a revolution in edutainment. Even the government officials in India are promoting games that are transforming the serious activity of education into a fun-filled experience for the present multitasking media generation, thus creating a fast track for learning. Also, several studies have proven that entertainment education is both a theoretical and practical approach to education about sensitive topics that can bring about social change. Educational gaming is thus an effective tool for learning and social change in India.

Keywords

Edutainment literacy learning social change games gaming technology game developers gaming culture gaming websites

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Educational Gaming

Abstract

Keywords

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References