Prodigy Education, Inc., formerly Prodigy Game, is a Canadian
educational technology
Educational technology (commonly abbreviated as edutech, or edtech) is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning and teaching. When referred to with its abbreviation, "EdTech" ...
company focused on
game-based learning. Its co-CEOs and founders are Alex Peters and Rohan Mahimker. It is the developer of the 2011 and 2022 ''
Prodigy Math,'' a
roleplaying game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, eith ...
where players solve math problems to participate in battles and cast spells, and ''Prodigy English'', a
sandbox game
A sandbox game is a video game with a gameplay element that provides players a great degree of creativity to interact with, usually without any predetermined goal, or with a goal that the players set for themselves. Such games may lack any objec ...
where players answer English questions to earn currency to gain items. Although each game is standalone, both are accessible through a single Prodigy account. The games are widely used in schools, though they have attracted criticism due to excessive in-game advertising for membership and their
freemium
Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium", is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical ( ...
aspects.
''Prodigy English''
On April 21, 2022, ''Prodigy English'' was launched for grades 1 to 6. According to Prodigy Education, the new game encouraged players to "build their own online world, collecting supplies and exploring an exciting and interactive environment while learning and answering curriculum-aligned English and grammer skills."
Criticism and controversies
Criticism of premium model
In February 2021,
Fairplay
FairPlay is a family of digital rights management (DRM) technologies developed by Apple Inc. for protecting videos, books and apps and historically for music.
Music
The initial version of FairPlay was created to protect music on the iTunes S ...
, formerly the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, an American advocacy organization, submitted a complaint to the
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...
regarding the premium model of ''Prodigy Math''. The organization stated that "
hile itdoes cost nothing for schools to implement Prodigy, the in-school version encourages children to play at home" and that "And when children play at home, they are met with a steady stream of advertisements promoting a 'premium annual membership' that costs up to $107.40."
James Bigg, a spokesman for Prodigy Math Game, responded to these allegations by stating in an email interview that the game notifies players about memberships "from time to time". Furthermore, Bigg has stated that "
rodigy Education looks atthis responsibly and sparingly so it does not detract from the free game play experience or educational quality. ...
heydo not pressure users into upgrading."
References
{{reflist
External links
Prodigy Education homepage
Educational technology companies of Canada
.