C-Jump - Winning Educational Tool or Wipe Out

C-jump Factory’s latest game, C-jump Ski and Snowboard Race, is a “Computer Programming Board Game.” C-jump Factory designed it to teach young children the basics of computer languages like C++, Java and C. C-jumps game designer describes game play. “The child calculates number of steps in the move, including addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication of small numbers. The game helps to develop understanding of a complete computer program, formed by logical sequences of commands… By moving around the board, entering loops, branching under conditional and switch statements, the players gain physical experience of a complete program. Understanding of the internal action of a computer is essential to understanding what software is. Static program causes dynamic process in the computer. By playing the game, players see this process as physical and spacial motion.” Good communication is the core of any teaching endeavor. C-jump fails to communicate its idea to parents and teachers with language like this.

C-jump endeavors to teach children such concepts as “goto,” “if-then,” “if-then-else,” variables, loops and the break command. The game board gives a clear description of each term when a player reaches it. This is the core of the game’s problem. Looking at the board is like standing at the bottom of Mt. Everest and looking up. Most children will ask, “Do I have to play that?” C-jump more closely resembles the Periodic Table of Elements than a game board. C-jump might be successful if a child played it for months. Repetition, questions and answers would help the concepts to sink in.

The idea behind C-jump is a sound one. Children need to be exposed to computer programming at an early age. A game that teaches children computer programing is an excellent idea. It would be a lot more effective if it was released as a game for the PC or one of the portable game consoles. Children could write small programs and see the programs run on the screen. If a company like C-jump Factory could negotiate a deal with Disney, Pokemon, Sonic or some other game franchise to lend their characters to an educational game, that game would be a lot more successful. The franchise characters will draw attention to the game and sound game design will educate children in game programming. It would be a win/win solution.

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