On Serious Games Sharing Serious Games quality projects
You have probably heard of ADHD. Maybe you went to school with someone who has it, perhaps your neighbor, friend, the kid you used to play with or even someone in your family. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is more common than you think, and causes problems concentrating, paying attention, memorizing and staying organized –usually in children.
The sense of immediacy and speed incorporated in our daily tasks through the use of technology is already causing kids to have a hard time learning how to hold focus– imagine how much harder it must be for an ADHD patient! But hope is not lost: after all, what catches a kid’s attention more than a game?
This is how Focus Pocus was born, from the wise minds at NeuroCog. Backed by research, but incredibly fun to play, it is a collection of 12 (serious) mini games designed to improve and practice skills (or “powers”) such as relaxation, impulse-control, memory and attention, in order to defeat an evil necromancer! After the training, the kid has acquired the necessary tools to enter the “Apply” stage, and is able to juggle all learnt skills (use his/her superpowers) hopefully resulting in a significant improvement in the children’s real-life behavior and learning capacities.
The game is also an excellent tool for educators and parents, as it is adapted for the needs of each kid, and can monitor the achievements and outcomes, as well as recording all EEG (the brain’s electrical activity) through the headset, which enables the kid to control the game.
Focus Pocus is therefore a perfect example on how a good use of technology –and serious games with it- can create a win-win solution to a problem.
Read more about the amazing Focus Pocus here or take a look to the video below to know what is behind Focus Pocus.
