BBC uses Doctor Who game to teach kids how to code

This is really cool, especially if you’re a Doctor Who fan. Linking up its longest running show with its new coding initiative, the BBC announced a new Doctor Who-themed game designed to teach the basics of coding to kids.

“The BBC has unveiled a computer game called The Doctor and the Dalek, as part of the Make it Digital initiative to get more young people into computer coding,” the broadcaster said on its site.

The new online game is voiced by current Doctor Peter Capaldi, is a standalone story in the Doctor Who universe written by show veteran Phil Ford and created especially for the BBC’s Make It Digital programme.

Launched earlier this year, the Make It Digital initiative aims to “shine a light on the world of digital creativity and coding”. The British broadcaster hopes to teach kids how to code and get them involved in computer science through a series on programmes on its platforms. For the broadcaster the initiative is a chance to inspire a new generation of coders and computer pionners to follow in the long history of the country, with creators such as Ada Lovelace, Charles Babbage and Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

The Doctor Who game will follow a series of coding challenges that are linked to the curriculum and “can be mapped against Key Stage 2 and 3 learning outcomes,” according to the broadcaster.

This is a really cool initiative, especially given the amount of time children spend watching TV and playing computer games. It will also be very useful for adults who are keen to learn the basics of programming. It makes sense for Doctor Who to be part of the BBC’s roll out shows for this. The show has had a long history of the Doctor tapping a way at his TARDIS (space ship) computer creating techie gizmos and writing code to defeat his enemies and save the day.

So, who is ready to play Doctor Who and the Dalek? We hear this Dalek is friendly. Check out this game-play video from FamilyGamerTV below.