Edutainment is a form of entertainment which aims to educate and amuse at the same time. Here familiar modes of entertainment like computer games are used to instruct of familiarize the user with a subject. This form of entertainment targets both children as well as adults. Video games can help in the improvement of proficiency by having users to interact with the program and manipulate variables.
They are very effective when designed to act on a particular problem or teach one particular skill. Some software work on having the user recall things that have been already learnt like history, geography, discoveries made by scientists, etc. One of the games targeted at both students and adult aims at teaching about political systems where the players becomes a politician and is made to take realistic decisions on politics. Edutainment is also used for professional training, healthcare, etc. Games involving mathematics prove useful for pre-teen children since games cannot involve complex calculations.
People playing computer games are said to have better visual-motor skills, faster reflexes and also have better concentration. According to a research done by American Psychological Association, videogames improve the players dexterity and problem solving ability. All these advantages along with enhancing creative thinking, strategic thinking and planning skills, make researches feel that these educational computer games can be made part of the curricula as they have real educational value. For use of edutainment in schools, content regulation will have to be done. These games will have to be in accordance with the syllabus.
