Learning environmental factors through playful interaction

In this paper we describe the design of an educational game for learning about energy and the environment using an interactive board called TagTiles. Learning activities, manipulation of tangible objects and the use of physical activity were combined as elementary components to develop a playful and engaging learning environment in which 8 to 10 year old children could learn independently, whilst also linking these learning activities to their daily behaviors. A contextual environment, RFID tagged cubes, kinetic energy generator, randomization function, and RFID tagged cards were used as basic building blocks for the game environment. The final game was evaluated in a classroom.