educational benefits of the game?

[lraine06492]

H'lo! I'm a PhD student studying games for learning (basic idea: school = boring, games = fun so how can school = games?) and I'm currently investigating Plague, Inc. Evolved. I've noticed in several articles about the game that folks have been using this for education or have noticed that they want to learn about "traditional" subjects to be better at the game (like geography).

So, has anyone here used this game (or the app version) to teach? If so, what?
Or, have you found yourself wanting to learn about something because of this game? If so, what?

Thanks for your help!

[brothercake]

Then how should children be educated?

[lraine06492]

Wow - thanks for your thoughts! And the vids! I haven't seen them yet, but I've been reading about gamification for a while now.

And yes, the American education system is considered broken by many people (researchers, policy makers, educators). It prepares students for a society we no longer have (industrial). That's why folks like me are researching games and simulations as learning environments. We know that complex games are natural learning environments already (if you want to read more on that, get the books by James Gee and/or Kurt Squire - both easy reads and very informative). So the question is: Can we use this informal learning in more formal environments?

As far as assessment is concerned, researchers have known for a while that grading systems just teach students to work for grades. While we don't have a viable alternative for measuring learning yet, an emerging field is that of stealth assessment. Basically, can we determine what one does or does not understand based on the way that person interacts with a game or simulation?

Anyway, thanks again folks!

[Lord Gaben]

I as a biology major in college, say some aspects of the game are realistic like multiple strains of a disease existing, viruses mutating rapidly, and transmission. It is true about a disease being undected for some time until it is persisting symtpoms.

[brad_laces]

This is a game, not a realistic simulation - at the current level of development. However, it provides a framework that with further development could become a useful simulationfor educational purposes - especially if in the multi-player version one player was the pathogen and the other players were the chief public health officers in their respective nations having to confront a new pathogen and having to learn to collaborate across national boundaries. Such a version would require a greater investment in the game than is currently feasible.

[76561198123023651]

Interesting discussion. While it's important to remember Plague Inc. is still a game - so it's not intended to be 100% scientifically accurate - we do get a lot of people getting in touch saying they have learnt some basic concepts around the spread of disease. We've tried to model it on the real world as much as we can, but still ensuring the game is fun and satisfying from a gameplay perspective.

Really nice links from ThatNickGuy - I think that 'gamifying' education can be a very positive thing. Everyone has different styles of learning, and I think games can be a perfectly valid form of education.

FYI - James (the maker of Plague Inc.) did a talk at the CDC a while back about how Plague Inc. can be used as a tool to raised public awareness on infectious disease. You can read more about it here: http://blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2013/04/plague-inc/

[FateWeaver]

Well I suppose if you play with cheats so that you start with unlimited evolution points you can play a known disease and pick all the traits you know the disease has in real life and then let it lose and monitor its progress. That is somewhat educational...
Really would like to see an alternative, more realistic mode to the game though. One that simulates the world and diseases as close to accurate as is possible. Now that would be educational and fun to play with. Maybe even a reverse mode where you play the WHO and try to stop the disease. Think that would be very interesting.

While I have you on the line here NdemicMarc, will you guys develop additional fictional diseases? How about giving Universal Pictures a call and ask them to use The Thing ^^ ?

[Fuzzy Images]

Yeah, Mostly my understanding of geography whent way up since playing this game. I didn't even realize it till I was talking to some one about world events and new where there country was located. Not to mention the fun facts like the worlds largest virus. It's cool stuff like this being done with games that I feel needs to be promoted more. I love learning new things, just so offten its hard to sit through it all in classes or books, and have it actually stick.

[76561198123023651]

引用自 Fateweaver：

Well I suppose if you play with cheats so that you start with unlimited evolution points you can play a known disease and pick all the traits you know the disease has in real life and then let it lose and monitor its progress. That is somewhat educational...
Really would like to see an alternative, more realistic mode to the game though. One that simulates the world and diseases as close to accurate as is possible. Now that would be educational and fun to play with. Maybe even a reverse mode where you play the WHO and try to stop the disease. Think that would be very interesting.

While I have you on the line here NdemicMarc, will you guys develop additional fictional diseases? How about giving Universal Pictures a call and ask them to use The Thing ^^ ?

Ha - that's one of the most popular requests we get. Personally I'd love to do it - it's a really interesting concept - but there is a little matter of rights :P Maybe check out the 2002 video game in the meantime - bit of a forgotten classic!

[FateWeaver]

He he, already own it :P. But I am more into playing the monster rather than hunting or surviving it ^^. Reason I love Prototype so much and simultaneously saddened that they focused so much on over the top action instead of stealth... :/
Was this really awesome mod multiplayer game for Warcraft 3 called Parasite if memory serves me right. Was just like playing The Thing ^^. The paranoia and mind games was so delicious, especially if you got some poor human player to think you where human and trust you... ^^ *evil lip licking* Delicious.
Alright, if you can't get the rights, make your own ^^ :P . Prototype did it, Dead Space did it, Parasyte(manga and anime) did it, so why not :P ?Anyone's game as far as I am concerned. Not like anyone owns the rights for biology gone havoc ^^ . Oh... Except greedy amoral pharmaceuticals... Hate those... - -

[tahluche]

To be honest, you could do the same thing you did with your in-game of Facebook and the iPad (Blankface and iCure xD). Easy way to slip around rights.

[FateWeaver]

引用自 littlefreak100：

To be honest, you could do the same thing you did with your in-game of Facebook and the iPad (Blankface and iCure xD). Easy way to slip around rights.

This one speaks the truth. ^^

[lraine06492]

H'lo!
I just thought you'd like to know that I got a research article published about this awesome game. It's in the free journal "Well Played" at http://press.etc.cmu.edu/content/volume-4-number-2. Thanks again for the great comments!

[FateWeaver]

Wow, congratulations! ^^ Was honestly not expecting any more activity on this thread. ^^

[76561198123591309]

引用自 lraine06492：

H'lo!
I just thought you'd like to know that I got a research article published about this awesome game. It's in the free journal "Well Played" at {链接已删除}http://press.etc.cmu.edu/content/volume-4-number-2. Thanks again for the great comments!

Hi there, this link didn't work for me?

[FateWeaver]

引用自 Ndemic Tom：

引用自 lraine06492：

H'lo!
I just thought you'd like to know that I got a research article published about this awesome game. It's in the free journal "Well Played" at http://press.etc.cmu.edu/content/volume-4-number-2. Thanks again for the great comments!

Hi there, this link didn't work for me?

Still not too late to make a The Thing inspired game mode. :3 *whispers*