'Doctor Who' online game for kids released by BBC to teach children the basics of programming

BBC releases 'Doctor Who' online game for kids to teach children the basics of programming.[Photo credit: Facebook]

Last Monday, BBC made the official announcement that it would be launching an online game titled "The Doctor and the Dalek," which makes use of Doctor Who characters. Using the voice of the series' star Peter Capaldi, the game has been designed to teach children the basics of programming.

The puzzles included in the game are based on the computing curriculum implemented in the United Kingdom. As such, the game has been designed to enable kids to acquire core programming skills as they go through each puzzle, as reported by Tech Times

'"The Doctor and the Dalek' is a brand-new 'Doctor Who' story and a fantastic game, voiced by the wonderful Peter Capaldi," BBC Director of Television Danny Cohen commented. "It's an excellent example of how a hugely popular BBC show can give fans something extra, while also introducing wider audiences to increasingly important skills, such as coding and programming."

As part of the network's "Make It Digital" initiative, the game has been designed to influence young individuals to enhance their creativity using digital technology.

"The Doctor and the Dalek" has already been made available at bbc.co.uk/cbbc just this Wednesday, free of charge.

The game follows the Twelfth Doctor in his ventures based on the story written by "Doctor Who" and "Wizards vs. Aliens" writer Phil Ford. After a phone call from a Dalek, an enemy of the Doctor, he goes with his unlikely assistant to carry out a mission to "save all of creation from destruction."

A number of puzzles are included in the game with which players are required to control the Dalek and enhance its power to carry out various tasks.

For every puzzle unlocked, an achievement is attained by the player that aids the Doctor in restoring the Dalek's strength. This helps ensure that it can overcome the increasingly hard challenges that the player deals with while carrying on further with the game.

Resources that come with the game can be accessed through BBC Learning at bbc.co.uk/schoolscomputing.