Application of Modern Technologies in the Creation of an Interactive Education Portal

Abstract

Children spend more and more time playing digital games nowadays. The success of digital games has also led to an interest in education digital games at schools. In addition, there are about 2600 elementary schools in Slovakia and so it is interesting to develop various education software. Therefore, an interactive education portal with a virtual environment for playing games and games-based teaching at elementary schools is being developed and improved. The portal consists in the selection of a game type such as a pairs game, a platform game or a movement-based game controlled with a keyboard by a pupil who has to pass through it with her or his answers to the designed questions of a taught or selected topic. The pupil receives an in-game currency called golds on the basis of gained knowledge. The recently added administration module of the portal and its improved gaming environment are presented. The administration module allows the registration of permitted users such as administrators, teachers, pupils and parents into the portal. Particular permitted users have various given privileges. An administrator is a school director or a person authorized by her or him who can add or remove teachers, pupils and parents. Teachers create questions, tests composed of these questions and export the results of pupils to a file. Pupils can work on improving their knowledge or take a test through a video game. Parents are allowed to check the results of their children and contact teachers.