Kids & Educational Games · 43

Typing games work because feedback is immediate: every correct key advances the action while every mistake identifies exactly what needs more practice. One more layer: Open-ended creation is educational in a different way from quizzes because there may be many successful answers and the player has to judge which one serves the goal best. The best educational trick is making the player notice the fun before noticing the practice.

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Educational

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Tiny fact jackpot

Mavis Beacon, the famous typing teacher introduced in 1987, was not a real person. She was a fictional character created to give typing software a friendly human identity—possibly the most accomplished imaginary keyboard instructor ever hired. One more useful piece of useless knowledge: JumpStart Kindergarten was released in 1994 and helped establish a huge series of grade-focused educational games. Its colorful activities made the home computer look a little less like office equipment and a little more like a toy box.