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Over the past several years, leading educators have begun a global discussion about the efficacy of using off-the-shelf consumer games to educate students. Teachers have found that some games in particular have a remarkable ability to keep students engaged and teach them at the same time. The basic requirements for a "stealth" teaching game is that it be fun, that in order to succeed in the game the student needs to learn about "real world" topics, and that the game's content be suitable for the particular education level and sophistication of the target students.
Much to our surprise, teachers around the world have been using Firaxs games for these purposes. Sid Meier's Civilization III, in particular, is now widely being used to teach students about history, geography, politics, and the like — though we in no way intentionally designed it to be used as such.
The Teacher Features section is for teachers who are interested in discussing this issue — with us, and with each other. Over the next few months we will begin a serious dialog on "stealth" education: we hope that you find it useful.
About Firaxis Games
Many Firaxis games focus on "real world" topics: Sid Meier's Civilization III, for instance, is about the development and growth of world civilizations. Sid Meier's Civil War games look at some of the most important battles in that most important struggle for the survival of the United States. Even Sid Meier's SimGolf looks at the problems and challenges of building and running a successful entertainment facility — albeit in a lighthearted manner. Click here to see all of Firaxis' current and past game titles.
Again, it cannot be overstated that Firaxis has never set out to make an "educational" game — however, it turns out that the company's basic design tenets tend to create games that work quite well for these purposes.
| FIRAXIS DESIGN VALUES |
PLAYER IMPACT |
| Rewards: Early and Often |
Feel “smart” and believe you can succeed and achieve! |
| Immersive “Flow” |
Forget time and place. Get lost in an engaging process! |
| Progression |
This is all leading somewhere … just “one more turn!” |
| Surprise |
Expect the unexpected and learning is even more fun! |
| Re-Playability |
Try again. “Just one more turn”. New surprises. |
| Stealthy Education |
The more you know, the better the flow. |
Games that Stand the Test of Time! |
Generations of game play across time and place! |
In-Game Rewards
Your progress in the game is rewarded with cool images, and interactive experiences that entertain you while revealing information that will make you smarter the next time you play.
The "Just One More Turn" Effect
Firaxis creative director Sid Meier is famous for creating games with the "just one more turn" effect, in which the player becomes so enamored with the progress of the game that they find it enormously difficult to stop playing — like reading a good book you can’t put down. Sid achieves this by constantly presenting the player with another challenge, another decision to make. The challenges are so engaging that the player wants to play "one more turn" to see how it turns out. Further, the player realizes that all of his or her decisions are important — even if they lose, they'll want to try again to see how a different decision would affect the outcome.
Firaxis wants to keep kids engaged and playing because that increases our sales, while educators want kids to keep playing because they're learning while they play. Everybody wins — even the students!
What the Educators Say
“Will computers change the way we learn? We answer “yes”. Video games create new social and cultural worlds, worlds that help people learn by integrating thinking, social interaction, and technology, all in the service of doing things they care about … virtual worlds are powerful contexts for learning. “ — Schaffer, Squire, Halverson, Gee (2004)
Further Information
TeacherSpeak opens the floor to educators. In our first issue (Winter 2004) we heard from noted educator and computer-game proponent Kurt Squire.
Our current issue (Spring 2005), Rex A. Martin from Bowie State University discusses the interactive nature of games, and their ability to reach, motivate and teach students.
Developer Soapbox is a place where we share the best lessons learned and (quite frankly) Firaxis viewpoints on some of the pressing issues of the day.
Our current issue (Summer 2006), Barry Caudill, Executive Producer
Talk to Us!
Want to tell us about your experiences using consumer games to educate your students? Have a comment on what someone else has said? Want to make contact with other educators in your area? Drop us a line at Webmaster@firaxis.com! Put "Teacher Features" in the subject line. |
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