Sitting for a couple of hours in front of a computer game a great way to learn?
Posted by: westy in evolution, gamingSim City was one of the first simulation programmes. In the game you are the mayor and chief architect of a city you are responsible for building and manufacturing. You attract SIMs, simulated citizens who build houses, stores factories – generate a tax base that funds the cities finances and allows further development. Perhaps John Banks needs to play the game as he struggles with the problem of funding developments at Eden Park.
In learning terms the game is interactive and student centred using realistic contexts. Don’t forget that pilots play games as they learn the complexities of flying a large passenger plane, they use flight simulators. Chemists also play with simulation games at university as they design molecules with particular geometries and polarities. Sixth form chemists use pen and pencil to do the same thing in exams using theory that is over 30 years out of date.
“Will Wright — a legend among gamers, the nerd’s nerd, undisputed king of the simulation.” – The New Statesman. His first hit game SimCity spurred players to make predictions, take risks and sometimes fail miserably.
Wright spent a number of his early years in a Montessori school and later in life came to realise that this time was the highlight of his education He now thinks of his games as “Montessori Toys” that allow kids to develop an understanding of the world around them through play. Experiencing failure was also part of this process.
His latest game Spore invites players to create an entire Universe from a single celled animal and Darwinian principles to galactic physics. Spore is not so much a game as an opportunity to discover and understand important scientific principles….”an imagination amplifier”
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April 7th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I think Wright’s new game is a good way of presenting evolution to students who may otherwise find it boring. There is no better way to learn something than by actually participating in it, and this game gives people that opportunity. Although its way of “teaching” evolution and other scientific themes is far from traditional, I think the game does a good job presenting the basics of these topics.