Game review #2

Software Evaluation

Title:
 Toca Doctor Light (free)

Publisher:
 Toca Boca

Subject Area:
 Human anatomy and coordination skills.

Summary: The game is meant to teach young children about how the body works through different games/problems. This is the most popular game in the free section in the Appstore.

Ease of Use: This app is aimed for young children who are practicing their coordination skills. There are very few steps to get into the game itself and you’re usually just dragging and sliding things around on the screen. There are no instructions or guidance through out the game. There’s no way to fail and if you finish your four challenges you get four new ones.

Skill Set: This game is probably aimed at children between the ages of 3-6. That is a pretty big gap when it comes to coordination skills but it’s also meant to be used as a tool to start a conversation with children about what goes on in their bodies.

Program Design Features: Simple “yes or no” answers”

Control of Pace
- Yes, no timer

Reviews/Help
- No

Ability to Backtrack
- Yes/No - You can play a game again if you want to

Levels of Difficulty
- No, at least not in the free version

Physical Interface
- No

Speech Features
- No

Childproof (child reality ready) - Yes

Individual Use
- Yes

Use with Pairs/Small Groups
- Yes

Printer Use
- No

Test/Recordkeeping/Game Save feature – No

Add-on Option-Can incorporate user content - No

Scaffolding – No, not in the free version at least

Program Comments: The game is mostly supposed to strike up a conversation between parents and children about what goes on in their body. According to the parents information page it make combing the hair for lice is way more fun when the child can squash them on the screen at the same time. There are different problems (four at a time) that the child can choose from and it’s always associated with a body part. Some of the games are based on reality, like when you have to help by pulling splinters out of the character’s foot but there are obviously (hopefully) no cars in your bowels that have to make their way to end (like food).

I do think the game is a good educational game in the sense of striking up a conversation about different body functions but it’s not always scientifically accurate, like I stated before.

Problem Solving Skills:

-       Working backwards

-       Question posing

-       Procedural Thinking

-        Using Trial and Error

-       Communicating thought and learning-

-

Fun Factor: I’m sure it’s a fun game for the targeted audience but since there are no difficulty levels I’m sure they will grow tired of it soon because you can play it as often as you like. It’s easy programming and graphics aimed at children that are strengthening their motor skills so the movements felt a bit ‘strange’ for someone who has their full motor skills.

Supplementary Materials: I’m sure you could use it as a supplement to children’s books about the human body but you have to be aware of it not being completely correct.

Follow-up activities: I see this software mostly being used as a conversation starter; either while using it or after the games have been played.