Learning has been always a topic that captured people’s interest. Particularly, parents of children felt very concerned about how well their kids could do at school. However, many factors can influence the way a child learns. Following a proper diet could be considered one of these factors that may determine the process of learning in childhood. According to psychologists, learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior, knowledge, capability, or attitude that is acquired through experience and cannot be attributed to illness, injury or maturation (Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood & Denise Boyd). This definition gives a feedback about how broad, and interesting this concept of learning is. Yet many researchers have felt the necessity to dedicate part of their time conducting researches on the topic of learning, and particularly the effect that diet could have on childhood learning learning. One study showed that unhealthy food habits tracked during childhood period have a tremendous impact on behavior and cognition (Ester F.C. Sleddens, Willemieke Kroeze, Elizabeth Velema, Laura M Bolten, Pam J. Kaspers, Johannes Brug, & Stef PJ Kremers). Another study conducted on determining whether there is a relation between diet quality and mental health in adolescent, one’s found evidences that unhealthy dietary has a relationship with poor mental health in children and adolescent. When the researchers reverse the study which means testing children and adolescent, those have eaten good food, they found an opposite result. They observed that the better the quality of food children eat, the better they will be mentally (Adrienne O’Neil, Shae E. Quirk, Sharon L. Brennan, Lana J. Williams, Julie A. Pasco, Michael Berk, & Felice N. Jacka). On top of this, researchers also found that early life nutrition has produced an effect on children’s neurocognitive development. In fact, they demonstrated through their research that children who were low birth weight babies showed lower IQ and power language and reading skills (Diane Tomlinson, Heather Wilkinson & Heather Wilkinson). Moreover, depending on the dietary intake, children could develop serious diseases that could impair their learning ability. A study revealed that diets high in fat and sugar, and low in fruit, vegetables and fiber could provoke diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, risk for type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The study also demonstrated that in order to promote health and well-being, it is significant for children and adolescents to follow healthy diet (Arianna D McClain, Courtney Chappuis, Selena T Nguyen-Rodriguez, Amy L. Yaroch & Donna Spruijt-Metz). Researchers go even further in their studies, and found that pregnant women’s diet plays a significant role in their children ability to ability to learn, and their behavior. According to the study, during their pregnancy, women should choose carefully what they eat in order for children to development properly (Catherine Lucas, Karen E. Charlton & Heather Yeatman).

As we can see, there are many studies that have been conducted on the relationship that exist between childhood learning and diet. These studies certainly pinpoint the importance of the diet for children, and how it affects their behavior, learning and their physical health. Nevertheless, some works still need to be done in this field. For example, children usually do not feel comfortable when it comes to follow proper diet that can promote learning ability. They are more prone to other kind of food such as fast food, which can negatively impact their well-being. In fact, studies show that diet is good for learning, but they do not reveal what can make children motivate to follow diet. In order to fill out this gap, it is significantly important to conduct studies on what can help children develop a healthy eating habit. It is predicted that diet has a positive effect on children’s ability to learn. In my study, I will focus on how playing game could promote children to develop an attitude that will help them perceiving diet as a pleasurable attitude.

References

Brug, J., Kremers, S. P.J., Kohl, L.F.M., Kroeze, W., Kapers, P.J. (2015).Determinants of dietary behavior among youth: an umbrella review. BioMed Central journal. Doi: 10.1186/s12966-015-0164-x.

Lucas, C., Charlton, K. E., & Yeatman, H. (2014). Nutrition Advice During Pregnancy: Do Women Receive it and Can Health Professionals Provide it? Maternal and Child Health Journal Matern Child Health J, 18(10), 2465-2478.

O’Neil, A., Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A., . . . Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship Between Diet and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Am J Public Health American Journal of Public Health, 104(10).

Tomlinson, D., Wilkinson, H., Wilkinson, P. (2009). Diet and Mental Health in Children. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 14(3), 148-155.

Trabulsi, J. C., & Mennella, J. A. (2012). Diet, sensitive periods in flavour learning, and growth. International Review of Psychiatry, 24(3), 219-230.

Wood, S. E., Wood, E. R., & Boyd, D. R. (2004). Mastering the world of psychology. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Learning has been always a topic that captured people’s interest. Particularly, parents of children felt very concerned about how well their kids could do at school. However, many factors can influence the way a child learns. Following a proper diet could be considered one of these factors that may determine the process of learning in childhood. According to psychologists, learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior, knowledge, capability, or attitude that is acquired through experience and cannot be attributed to illness, injury or maturation (Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood & Denise Boyd). This definition gives a feedback about how broad, and interesting this concept of learning is. Yet many researchers have felt the necessity to dedicate part of their time conducting researches on the topic of learning, and particularly the effect that diet could have on childhood learning learning. One study showed that unhealthy food habits tracked during childhood period have a tremendous impact on behavior and cognition (Ester F.C. Sleddens, Willemieke Kroeze, Elizabeth Velema, Laura M Bolten, Pam J. Kaspers, Johannes Brug, & Stef PJ Kremers). Another study conducted on determining whether there is a relation between diet quality and mental health in adolescent, one’s found evidences that unhealthy dietary has a relationship with poor mental health in children and adolescent. When the researchers reverse the study which means testing children and adolescent, those have eaten good food, they found an opposite result. They observed that the better the quality of food children eat, the better they will be mentally (Adrienne O’Neil, Shae E. Quirk, Sharon L. Brennan, Lana J. Williams, Julie A. Pasco, Michael Berk, & Felice N. Jacka). On top of this, researchers also found that early life nutrition has produced an effect on children’s neurocognitive development. In fact, they demonstrated through their research that children who were low birth weight babies showed lower IQ and power language and reading skills (Diane Tomlinson, Heather Wilkinson & Heather Wilkinson). Moreover, depending on the dietary intake, children could develop serious diseases that could impair their learning ability. A study revealed that diets high in fat and sugar, and low in fruit, vegetables and fiber could provoke diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, risk for type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The study also demonstrated that in order to promote health and well-being, it is significant for children and adolescents to follow healthy diet (Arianna D McClain, Courtney Chappuis, Selena T Nguyen-Rodriguez, Amy L. Yaroch & Donna Spruijt-Metz). Researchers go even further in their studies, and found that pregnant women’s diet plays a significant role in their children ability to ability to learn, and their behavior. According to the study, during their pregnancy, women should choose carefully what they eat in order for children to development properly (Catherine Lucas, Karen E. Charlton & Heather Yeatman).

As we can see, there are many studies that have been conducted on the relationship that exist between childhood learning and diet. These studies certainly pinpoint the importance of the diet for children, and how it affects their behavior, learning and their physical health. Nevertheless, some works still need to be done in this field. For example, children usually do not feel comfortable when it comes to follow proper diet that can promote learning ability. They are more prone to other kind of food such as fast food, which can negatively impact their well-being. In fact, studies show that diet is good for learning, but they do not reveal what can be made in order to motivate children to follow proper diet. In order to fill out this gap, it is significantly important to conduct studies on what can help children develop a healthy eating habit. It is predicted that diet has a positive effect on children’s ability to learn. In my study, I will focus on how playing game could promote children to develop an attitude that will help them perceiving diet as a pleasurable attitude.

Children’s ability to learn could be defined by considering their capacity to stay focus. The notion of attention represents the cornerstone of every leaning process. Yet it could be influenced by the type of foods children eat. Some nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins are essential for the well-functioning of the body. When children keep skipping breakfast this could impair their academic performance (Diane Tomlinson, Heather Wilkinson & Paul Wilkinson 2009).

This topic is socially relevant because when children follow an appropriate diet they will learn better. It will also help parents to choose foods that are required to boost children capacity to stay focus. It would be very beneficial for society because when students do better at school, this would affect positively all areas of their life. However, some aspect remains debatable because children often do not really like foods that sustain the learning process. To solve this problem it would be crucial to find a way to make it pleasurable for kids to follow a diet that promotes their ability to learn.

It would be very interesting for me to conduct a research on this topic because I would like to be a counselor, and I am currently a dialysis technician. As a counselor, my work would be to encourage kids to make good choice when it comes to food that would help them in their learning.

I played the game entitled a Cheyenne Odyssey. The game could be found at the website www.mission-us.org. This game has a very strong learning objective that teaches the player about the history of the Amerindian, more precisely about how they lived in the past.

In term of the primary game mechanic, the player has to make choice while he or she is learning through a conversation engaging him (the avatar) and the other characters in the game.

The game design also has an affect on the player. The systems most affected are the cognition, the behavior, and the social life of the player. These aspects are affected simply because the game was designed for this purpose.

The game engages only one player. The objective of the game is not to win, but to learn how to behave in a community specifically by showing good manner toward elders. In term of rules and procedures, the player has to answer to questions asking by the others characters. He also need to read all the other possible answer in order to choose the best one for which he would get a reward.

in addition, the resources spent in the game are horses. You have to give horses in exchange for other items like powder, and guns.  There are two ways of resolving conflicts in the game. Either they are solved by dialogue or by war. However, to maintain the boundaries in the game, the player has to follow the rules that have been set buy the designer.

The game is playful in the sense that it puts you in an environment where you have do different tasks including interating with people. To build the game Land, forest, and animals are used. And, trading is the object behavior being used.  It is well balanced  game in which there is no dominant strategy. However the game is not so easy to play. It requires time and patient in order to learn how to play it.

I played the game entitled the migrant trail. This game is available on the website theundocumented.com. The game is very fascinating. It has an interesting learning objective, that could be perceived in too levels. Firstly, it teaches people how to prepare for long trip, what they need to survive during a long trip. On top of this, it discourage the tendency of the Mexican people to engage in the desert trip in order to cross the border leading to the United States. When playing this game, it would affect the cognitive and the behavioral systems. In this game players would have to use their mind, and think about making good decision in the right time which appeal to their cognition ability. Then, the game tend to discourage a certain group of people to do something dangerous and this aspect of the game is related to behavior.

The game requires only one player whose the primary objective is to win the game by taking the character safely to the United Stated. However, the objective does not reinforce the learning objective because it is difficult if not impossible to win the game. Some rules that a player has to follow in the game are walking, follow directions. As resources, a player would need to by food, water, clothes ect. Yet not having enough resources would result to the character’s death. There are also boundaries in the game, for example you can walk pass police patrol without getting caught, however you are allowed to try again with a different character. Walking in a desert, you have a lot of challenge in the. You would have to keep an eye on several things at the same time. For example hydration level, energy level and physical state. In addition, as Emergent, players might feel sad or have empathy for the character. There is a lot of tension in the gam, and it is conflicting because you cannot  win. The object behaviors required are buying food, clothes, and water. Some new systems that emerge from the game are choosing different road to escape police, do not eat cactus to save physical resource. Interaction between players and the game is held by a dialogue box. The game is very engaging. As a player you have to take decision all the way long.

However the game is not difficult to play. It takes only a few minutes to learn it. You just have to follow the given directions and trying to play again and again.

I played the game titled common sense made by the company digital compass. This was a wonderful experience because the game is very interesting. I learned a lot of information in a very short time. The purpose of the game is to teach the player about the proper use of social media. As someone who has played this game, I found it very educative. The game educates players on differentiating posts that should be kept private, and those that could be shared with the public when using social media.