Venture Africa as a teaching device
by Andy Schatz · 01/18/2007 (6:20 pm) · 12 comments
Sorry to post twice in a day, but I just discovered some other cool news about Venture Africa. The author behind the Mister Teacher blog has begun using Venture Africa in his classroom.
His kids are in teams playing the game and taking notes about what they learn (about animals, ecosystems, and STRATEGIES) as they play. He's performing this as an experiment in how CHALLENGE and ACTIVE LEARNING can help children to participate in the classroom. You can see some of the comments his kids have on his teaching website.
In any case, his blog describes the theory behind it much better than I can. Click on the links above to read about it!
His kids are in teams playing the game and taking notes about what they learn (about animals, ecosystems, and STRATEGIES) as they play. He's performing this as an experiment in how CHALLENGE and ACTIVE LEARNING can help children to participate in the classroom. You can see some of the comments his kids have on his teaching website.
In any case, his blog describes the theory behind it much better than I can. Click on the links above to read about it!
About the author
#2
01/18/2007 (8:54 pm)
That is great news! I think in the future games will be used more and more in the classroom. Interaction seems to be a far more efficient learning tool than typical lectures and memorization techniques.
#3
But I was expecting such things for your games Andy.
It seemed obvious to me this was a goal for you.
Don't forget to take a look at my blog here:
Why indies should translate their games?
01/19/2007 (12:20 am)
Good news.But I was expecting such things for your games Andy.
It seemed obvious to me this was a goal for you.
Don't forget to take a look at my blog here:
Why indies should translate their games?
#4
01/19/2007 (12:57 am)
This is fantastic, honestly. I really think this is the best award WT could have won!
#5
01/19/2007 (6:54 am)
Awesome!! Congrats! :)
#6
01/19/2007 (7:36 am)
You should point him to Venture Artic. Maybe come up with a student package?
#7
01/19/2007 (8:26 am)
Total awesomeness!! 
#8
01/20/2007 (6:03 am)
Wow, that's cool, it's amazing how much things we learn from games, intentionally or otherwise. One example, I wouldn't have know half as many country flags as I do if I hadn't scrolled through so many of them during sports gaming sessions! I image this is the case for Venture series with animals :0) 
#9
I feel all warm and fuzzy now ;)
01/20/2007 (9:06 pm)
That is cool. Now if we can only get more teachers to embrace games as a learning tool then we will be much better off. I have also heard of a Spanish teacher who let his class play Wii sports by breaking them in groups to translate the instructions and played in the order they finished. Applying a real world problem of having to translate.I feel all warm and fuzzy now ;)
#10
BTW Started a Wiki page for Venture Africa. If you can put a couple screens and fix & add info.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Tycoon:_Venture_Africa
I was gonna put a screenshot on there from your website but didn't want to hassle with copyright issue etc :)
01/22/2007 (2:38 pm)
@Andy:BTW Started a Wiki page for Venture Africa. If you can put a couple screens and fix & add info.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Tycoon:_Venture_Africa
I was gonna put a screenshot on there from your website but didn't want to hassle with copyright issue etc :)
#11
01/23/2007 (11:08 am)
@Vashner- Wow cool! Thanks! I've been thinking of doing this but I haven't found the time (and I feared it would look like an ad). I'll help make it pretty, thanks!
#12
Anyone else that has a shipped game I would recommend making a wiki. As long as it's fair and honest and the game is a good value then it's all cool.
Whoever made that GarageGames mini section is the one that listed your game so they deserve the true kudoz.
01/23/2007 (2:28 pm)
Cool beans. In that infobox cvg you can put a Pocketwatch corp logo, you'll see an empty line called image.Anyone else that has a shipped game I would recommend making a wiki. As long as it's fair and honest and the game is a good value then it's all cool.
Whoever made that GarageGames mini section is the one that listed your game so they deserve the true kudoz.
Torque 3D Owner Todd Pickens