02-10-2003 04:03									#1
	Interesting column from MIT Get a bigger avatar today!

Soon, everybody will 'know' about the Dutch UU. Not to mention the advantage of placing cities in a ring around the capital.

link

quote: .... Often, we hear that there is no market for educational games, but in fact, some of the most commercially successful games – Sim City , Civilization – inform as well as entertain. These games are already being used in classes, but industry and academic researchers can develop customized modifications, curricular materials, instructional activities, and teacher training programs to expand their use. Kurt Squire, for example, has been introducing Civilization 3 into high school geography and history classes, enabling students new insights into the role of geography and resources in shaping political and economic developments – and inspiring them to turn textbooks into cheat books. ....

	02-10-2003 04:10									#2
	Get a bigger avatar today!

a nice idea but I hope these teachers realize the limitations of civ as not being entirely geographically or historically that accurate...

	02-10-2003 05:35									#3
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

I've always thought that Civ would be an excellent vehicle for teaching the sweep of world history as portrayed in Jared Diamond's "Guns Germs and Steel."

When we get around to a RL game in AU, I'll want to see the structure of reporting (and possibly even some creative modding) revolve around some of the major identified issues... north - south barriers, east - west homogeneity, large animals, natural resources, pop density, etc.

Very cool.

	03-10-2003 21:51									#4
	Increase the size of your Attachments

civ3 is a nice sim/strategy but its far from real world accurate. It gives a nice general feel tho for the evolution of mankind and conflict.

	04-10-2003 14:33									#5
	Remove this text

Some guys have posted in OT before that they were going to introduce their classes to Civ.

Maybe Kurt Squire is one of us

	04-10-2003 18:30									#6
	Re: Interesting column from MIT Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by Ribannah Not to mention the advantage of placing cities in a ring around the capital.

IIRC, the ring city exploit is going to be 'fixed' in Conquests, but I could be mistaken on that.

	04-10-2003 23:58									#7
	Remove this text

We'll see. Hey, there can be a refresher course!

	08-10-2003 00:56									#8
	Increase the size of your Attachments

I think games should be used as a form of personal improvement only, teachers are not ready for this- I learned way more things about history and geography playing Gabriel Knight and Simcity than in years of bookthumping at school

	08-10-2003 01:42									#9
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Lord_Retardinator, don't you get it? The teacher can mod his own map, and it becomes a lot more tangible than a wall hanger from 1968.

	08-10-2003 10:15									#10
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

I think that Civ3 is great to teach concepts such as:

Terrain plays a huge role in battles and development of cities
Certain resources are important for technologies
Rivers aided civilizations
Others as well but I am too tired to think about them

All you need is a bit of interest perhaps peaked when they read about the leader and the civilization. It also would take some guiding by the teacher but I think that Civ3 is a great educational tool.

	11-10-2003 04:39									#11
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

A teacher is supposed to teach boring stuff so that people will look for interesting datas in computer games, internet and books