Category Archives: Education
Edukayshun
In a follow on from my Feb ’05 thought for the month I attended a DfES (Department for Education and Skills) Game Summit last week. The focus of the event was the potential use of computer/video games in education. It seems that the DfES has been wrestling with the idea for some time but has so far not come up with a viable plan for the use of games in education. However there has at least been a sea change in the opinion of both educators and the games industry. Previous discussions hosted by the DfES resulted in both parties agreeing that games in schools were a dreadful idea. Now at least both sides agree that actually games are a viable teaching aid – it just remains to work out how a business model can be constructed that works for developers/publishers within a schools purchasing process. As is often the case several people expressed the opinion that the government would have to put its hand in its pocket to fund development and kick start the market. My personal view is that the governments best efforts would be directed towards educating publishers/developers on how education department purchasing works (so that they can work out a viable business model) and how to track down educators who can work with them to develop great games that meet a school’s curriculum requirements.
I am certainly a believer in the educational ability of great games. Not only do I know more about the Seven Wonders of the ancient world after playing Rome: Total War but my interest and knowledge of European Geography can be traced back to senior school, where my Geography teacher hosted an after-school Diplomacy club (a board game loosely based on a pre World War I map of Europe).
I came, I played, I learned
The boys of form 6 storm the school canteen
“In this mornings lesson we will be studying the Battle of Cannae, fought between the Romans and Carthaginians in 216 BC. Please load your copy of Rome:Total History and open saved game number 42. While it is loading can anyone tell me who the Carthaginians were?”
One reason why I feel that the game industry comes under attack so often for excessive violence is that there are few, if any, games that use violence to convey a message. Most are merely entertainment and are viewed by many as gratuitously violent and as such worthless. The Serious Games Summit (March 7-8, 2005) at GDC is one way that members of the industry are attempting to change this, by promoting the use of computer & video game technology for simulations, training, education, and other practical applications. Personally I hope that in addition to serious games we start to develop more games that seek to be meaningful – ones whose primary purpose is to convey a message – be it political, social or economic, rather than just entertainment.
Game technology engages those who use it in a way that reading or discussion can’t. The best way to answer the question “Please Sir, what would have happened at Cannea if Hannibal had….” is to load Rome: Total History and allow the class to find out for themselves. Even games whose primary purpose is entertainment can still contain much that is educational. The real Rome: Total War (as opposed to my fictional Total History version) can teach anyone playing it a lot about Rome, its history and military conflicts. The Creative Assembly developed title is an excellent game that is both entertaining and exceptionally well executed – but it is also educational. Players learn about military tactics, Roman history and even the Seven Wonders of the World as they strive to construct an empire and put Rome’s enemies to the sword.