Our technical activity with Twine was probably the most fun I’ve had in a graduate class so far! I don’t always walk away from a class thinking it was fun, usually I use words like ‘interesting’ or ‘thought provoking.’ But creating paths in Twine while we learned I kept thinking about how great this application is for storytelling and in general reminded me how important fun is in our profession (and really all professions.) But especially in an educational setting with children. Of course, historians have a deeply ethical duty to integrity, but being creative with our storytelling is so important! Our small-group may have taken some liberties with our historical realism and kept our Twine adventure light-hearted but again it impressed upon me the potential for delight using this type of method of narration. The mix of audience interaction with storytelling I think is a really important and under-utilized tool.
Unsurprisingly this was reinforced with our other activities in this lesson. Now, I’m not saying that Oregon Trail was the most historically accurate game out there, but having playing it when I was in elementary school I can say it has left a mark on me. Playing this much beloved game from my past now in my late 30s, I realize how much of this game was insensitive and inaccurate. But at the same time I can see how the interaction aspect of this game really captured my imagination as a kid.
One of the examples from the Krijn H.J. Boom et al, article reinforced that idea that interaction is a key component in learning. In it a Holland educational group used what they termed RoMeincraft which blended the gameplay of MineCraft with rebuilding ancient Roman cities. The RoMeincraft integrated play with history and even inter-generational (kids played while grandparents helped). What was most influential about this type of video game/history integration was that it did not involve violence. I can’t think of a “history” game I have personally played that didn’t involve violence (thinking mainly of Civ V.) Being weary of this tendency towards violence is certainly something a serious historian who is looking to use gaming as an educational device needs to be aware of. Beyond violence I can see that there are a lot of ways using gaming and storytelling can be either trivialized or manipulated. But for now (at this point in my career) I am going to try to lean away from the cynicism and lean into potentialities for using gaming and/or interactive storytelling.
One of those potentialities is podcasting! It is a bit of a trope now how easy podcasting is, it’s likely your neighbor is doing it, but it really is a fantastic way for historians to get their research out there in a format that is relatively low barrier to entry. I listened to the Green Tunnel Podcast by RRCHNM hosted by Mills Kelly (Click here to listen) and I enjoyed it so much that I went back to the beginning episode and will be listening to it on my walks with my dog. The host was able to integrate so much information, history, oral interviews, current events – it was very seamless. Ultimately, this module made me really hopeful and excited for some of the new ways historians can create projects that aren’t just digital, but also interactive and tell stories in creative imaginative ways.
3 replies on “Kids These Days and Their Video Games”
I have a friend who uses Minecraft as a way to engage with her students. Although she works in education today, she started out as a professional clarinetist and has played with symphonies all over the country. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that she has a Minecraft module that helps teach music. Honestly, if you had asked me when my kids were playing Minecraft that it could be used for education, I might have scoffed. And yet, educators have found so many ways to use the platform to cover a myriad of subjects. I think the lesson here is to keep an open mind when trying to combine platforms.
I have a similar feeling about podcasts. When done well, they are an excellent way to convey some great history in a way that is far less intimidating than some other forms. The arguments and narratives can be framed in such a manner that they are easy to follow and comprehend. This may sound like I am saying that I think that podcasts are simplistic, but it is quite the opposite. Rather, I am saying that I think their most significant strength is that they can make rather complex topics accessible to people who may be intimidated by reading the same material in a thick tome. I have loads of history podcasts loaded on my phone and listen to them often. One of my biggest thrills is getting a friend to listen to them to chat about them later.
https://education.minecraft.net/en-us/lessons/minecraft-music-video
Hi Jess,
I also think the use of Minecraft in education is very useful and beneficial and personally I am all for it. I like how you brought up the fact that videos games tend to be violent so that is a thought historians must keep in mind when designing games for educational purposes. That makes me think of the game God of War, which is a game based on mythology but is very violent as you have to “slay” monsters. This for obvious reasons would not be acceptable even though it is slightly historical with the mythology. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jess,
I think this is one of the posts that I’ve read that has mentioned the violence that is found so often in video games that have a historical basis to them. I think, from our mostly privileged area, a lot of us are so far removed from violence found in like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and even Assassins Creed, that it does have more of an appeal. Even Oregon Trail has violence embedded in it. This is more of an open-ended question, but does that speak more of the setting of the game or our own American culture? Or, a third option, is that just what sells in the gaming world? Like digital history, its hard to find any that’s not driven by violence or tragedy. It just makes you think. I guess there could be a historically accurate farming simulator out there somewhere, but I have yet to see such. I think that’s why the Roman Minecraft adaption is so intriguing because it’s just rebuilding ancient Rome. Hmm. Maybe there CAN be non-violence based games.