Video Games in the Ward (taken from "The point at the end of the cannula")

Description: Escaping the confrontation with their illness is a daily concert of children with medical needs. This concern is quite comparable to the behaviour of truancy (the action of staying away from school without good reason). Video games in the ward may, like videotelephony with Skype and FaceTime, be a means for patients in hospital land at home to comfort them. Well chosen conventional videogames, but also specific made didactic games can therefore be powerful aids in HHE.

Notes: Parents’ views on methodological indications for using videogames are described in the article “The view from the pointy end of the cannula”. While choosing conventional videogames or making specific didactic games, one should focus on the following issues: • Clear for learning (consider the mental or emotional state of the child) • Assess his/her learning needs (are learning content and format responding optimally to these needs?) • Make the learning relevant to his/her interests • Give him/her work that reflects the work the schoolmates in his/her mainstream school are doing • Schedule FaceTime or Skype or any kind of connection with his school-friends. Consider as well: • Videogames have 'side effects' that have to be checked before giving it to a kid. Some videogames may be a bit costly, although normally not that much, but didactical games are not always easy to be found. • If possible, set up a set of videogames that may fit for the child’s medical condition and provide instructions on how they can be cleverly introduced in the ward and hospital school.