Using Video Games to Memorize Maps, Systems and Other Ordered Objects.

Students playing games on their iPads, instead of listening to directions or completing class work is a frequent complaint of teachers in 1:1 classrooms. It's not surprising that students choose a game over a lecture or worksheet, but their love of games can be leveraged to provide a platform for learning.

If you ever had a favorite video game, you can probably remember exactly what it looked like. You remember every turn and obstacle of Mario Kart's best race tracks; the rooms and equipment in GoldenEye; the shapes of the Tetris pieces; or the levels of Sonic the Hedgehog. Nobody told us to memorize these rooms and objects, but we did because it was a necessary and unavoidable part of improving and winning. (There's an entire field dedicated to applying game structure to learning, and I would encourage you to seek out experts and their research findings. Brian Houssand presented at the National Association for Gifted Children Conference in Denver (2012) and his presentation did a great job of summarizing the research.)

The digestive tract, the ancient Silk Road, order of mathematical operations, layout of the planets, and a timeline of European art history can all be turned into a map, course, or maze. In fact, students construct, memorize, play and replay these maps and courses until they've (inadvertently) memorized them.

FreeRiderHD

At the moment, my students' favorite game is FreeRiderHD and it's a relatively simple game in terms of controls, graphics and strategy. The player attempts to navigate a bicyclist through a course by controlling pitch. If your rider hits the ground at the wrong angle and they'll flip over. What's really cool about this game is that players can draw, save, play and share their own custom courses all from the iPad.

The best way to learn how to use this program is to visit the website and create your own map, but there are three features to make sure you understand. First, there are two kinds of drawing tools. One of the drawing tools allows you to draw track and forms the shape of your playing surface. The other drawing tool is for creating scenery and background. The players will see this background, but it won't alter gameplay. You (or hopefully, your students) will have to balance creating a playable track with one that conveys the concepts to learn. If it is a perfect representation of Parisian icons, but completely impassable, your students won't play it for very long. Alternatively, they won't learn much if it is merely a series of bumps with some Presidents' faces in the background. 

Of course, creating the track shouldn't be the only part of this project. Students should research what it should like and what should be included. If they are creating a race track that follows a molecule of oxygen through the respiratory tract, then they should do some research on what they will encounter. They should probably plan the course on a "storyboard" and explain what they've included and excluded and why.

Minecraft

If you've ever groaned because your students have never heard of Elvis or Casablanca, then you had better learn about Minecraft, because every person under the age of 20 knows exactly what it is. When it comes to Minecraft, everything you ever assumed about the current generation and their video games is wrong. The game has graphics on par with PacMan and about as much violence. It isn't a game of destruction, in fact, it is all about construction and that is why the game is such a powerful tool for learning.

Minecraft is essentially a giant, digital Lego set. You construct things using blocks of various materials and colors and the results are astounding.  Many of your students have accounts and this game can be played on multiple devices (computers, tablets, video game consoles). Ask them to create a model of Camp Green Lake from HOLES and they'll probably turn it in two days early. Give them the option to create a miniature map of Asia and they'll probably add buildings representing the architecture of the various nations. 

It is an amazing tool and it begs to be explored further!

FreeCiv

In my opinion, Sid Meier's Civilization is the greatest educational game ever created. No two games are ever the same, it can be played infinitely, and when students have started to master the game it means they have a firm understanding of geopolitics, economics, governments, and technological advances ranging from writing to jet propulsion. You can tell your students "the British Empire relied on its huge navy" as many times as you want, but give them Civilization and they'll learn for themselves why islands and other nations in close quarters often expand overseas, develop colonies, and sometimes displace other nations. They will also understand why it is so difficult to maintain control of people on the other side of the planet, why living in close proximity to other nations leads to more trade and why trade leads to rapid technological development.

Civilization II

FreeCiv

FreeCiv is not the same game because it isn't played in turns, and that is a major difference. However, it is the same in every other way, and you can construct your own maps and scenarios. Would you like your student to understand why the Union had an advantage over the Confederacy? Have them play the game on a difficult setting and they will struggle (pitifully) to defeat a more industrialized opponent. 

If you can afford Civilization (II is fantastic, even if the graphics aren't) then get it, but if you can't, FreeCiv is a decent alternative. In a future date I am going to blog about all of the awesome stuff you can do with Civilization!