Tākaro Research Project

Tākaro is a research project to encourage our young people to look at and become interested technology so that they will further their studies into one of the STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering or maths through learning coding concepts and systems thinking by playing the game ‘Tākaro’.

The research aim is to measure if a game can increase interest in technological subjects at school and how much that interest increases.

For this research our stakeholders are intermediate and high school students in New Zealand from age 11 - 16 years old.  However, the game itself is suitable for ages 5 years plus and for adults that are interested in learning coding concepts.

Tākaro has been approved through the Unitec Research Ethics Committee number 2017-1041. The Tākaro game will be ready for research in April 2018.

If you would like to be involved in this study please contact info@metia.co.nz

Introduction

There is a need to teach students to be flexible, to be adaptable and to be technically skilled for a world that is increasingly digital, global and specialised. We need to make critical and meaningful connections with new knowledge, new concepts and innovative ideas. Technology and the access to digital devices in every aspect of our lives has fundamentally changed how we communicate, share and educate.

Today’s children have grown up with digital technologies and they are used for learning, communicating and creating through various forms of media. Games provide a platform for learning through play and naturally develops problem solving, communication and collaboration. Games can influence motivation and engagement of learners in a positive way and offer also a secure and contextual environment that foster different skills acquisition.

Tākaro will be available in Te Reo Maori and English.

What is Tākaro?

Tākaro is a game to teach young people to learn coding concepts and systems thinking through a hands-on, reactive environment.

The Tākaro Game

The Tākaro game will be an unconventional styled game and breaks away from the usual character based games while providing exciting strategic puzzle challenges. Set within a 3d world, the player will explore and discover their way through suspended 3d platforms and mazes. Tākaro will greatly challenges one's spatial skill, especially the ability to visualise in a three-dimensional space using coding concepts to navigate.

Tākaro Promotes Innovative Thinking

Tākaro takes coding and reimagines it as plain, simple fun

• by arranging sequences of instruction
• using computational and systems thinking
• plan, problem and puzzle solve

Tākaro encourages learning

• self-paced
• check out real world examples
• choose specific pathways of interest

Tākaro Features

Tākaro will provide progressive game-play that will sustain the interest or motivation of the player.

• Full 3D reactive dynamic world
• Simple learning curve
• Simple control systems
• Visual appeal
• Pick up and play
• Educational
• Engaging
• Self-paced learning