Parents Upset By NYU's Guitar Hero Course

[Earnest Cavalli]

Parents Upset By NYU's Guitar Hero Course

Because calling it "Guitar Hero 101" would be a bit too obvious, New York University now offers students a course called "Guitar Heroes (and Heroines): Music, Video Games and the Nature of Human Cognition."

As you rightfully guessed, the class covers Activision's wildly successful Guitar Hero rhythm game series, though instead of just giving students an extra few hours every day to practice their faux musicianship, the course raises deeper questions such as "Why are human beings so easily sucked in by videogames?"

As the New York Times points out [http://www.nypost.com/seven/08302009/news/regionalnews/school_of_rock_187216.htm], some parents are a bit upset that their children are learning about videogames.

"I just wrote a big check here," says Glen Jackson, father of a new NYU student. "I'm not paying for him to study video games. It seems a bit watered down."

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[NewGeekPhilosopher]

I think parents would rather have their kids learning real instruments, but a Guitar Hero course could be fun.

 

[Diablini]

I don't see anything wrong, someone who has musical talent will want to buy a real guitar after buying Guitar Hero. That's what happened to me.

 

[Zarthek]

I'd sign up for that..... ANYWAY I can see why some parents would be a little.... disturbed about there kid's learning about video games, but they are going to learn about them anyway, either through playing them themselves or just hearing about them from a friend.
I'm hoping they only teach Guitars instrument wise... at least I hope so cause if not that is a bad misnomer.

 

[Abedeus]

I don't see anything wrong, someone who has musical talent will want to buy a real guitar after buying Guitar Hero. That's what happened to me.

Yeah, but why not just learn to play a real guitar? If you are paying anyway...

Paying for a course for ANY game is stupid.

 

[HentMas]

the thing i dont get is, are these studies shown from an anthropologist point of view?? if not i call bull and teach the people something worthy, if it does hey! it would be interesting and actually apllyable in the modern market (looking the business)

 

[Woodsey]

Maybe making the focus (or what would seem to be the focus) of the course about a game wasn't such a bright idea. I'm all for courses that can help introduce people to the industry in various ways although most people say the current courses are useless - as soon as you've learnt something over a 2/3 year period the tech/methods/etc. would have changed from what you've learnt.

 

[Therumancer]

In general I think universities are a bit too liberal/left wing, but in this case as someone who feels that video games are not given enough respect, I can't help but support the class.

To put things into perspective, I see no real reason why many art classes (and what art is, is entirely subjective) are not considered to be a waste, but video games are. All this seems to be doing is elevating video games to the level of another art. Honestly if things like performance art, and interpetive dance can be considered worthy of having classes based around them, then so can video games (if I understand the subject correctly).

Given that someone had to sell this idea to the College's board of directors, since they are the ones paying for it through their tuitions and such, I'd imagine there is probably something to it.

Even a lot of the liberal stuff that I think is pushing it, at least has SOME logic behind it, even if I disagree with it.

Right now I think the issue is one where your looking at a conflict in a changing society. The Baby Boomers grew up as thinking of games as "just for kids". Things changed as the games grew up with Generation X, but like all "older generations" they are stuck in their own ways of thinking and have a hard time adapting. This is also why we have issues over things like sex and violence in video games (and the very existance of 'M' rated titles), and why I think we need to hold out and oppose people like Obama and Clinton (no matter what their reasoning or how well intentioned) until we see that tiny portion of Generation X that actually made something of itself take over. This ia arguably one of "our" issues.

 

[Mstrswrd]

They would hate my college. We have a gaming history class, which involves playing many old games, and than writing essays about them. It's the best course ever conceived by the human mind.

 

[kawligia]

Parents of yesterday had the same complaints about college film courses.

 

[Monshroud]

This is further proof how the extreme liberals are ruining education. (I am a liberal, just closer to the center) You pay thousands of dollars for your kid to get a college degree and when they come out they don't know anything. Because at Georgetown University they spent almost $5,000 taking a course called "The Philosophy of Star Trek."

Colleges have been adding more and more classes that really don't prep you or teach you the skills you need in the real world. These kids are taking classes on "Harry Potter Lit" and they don't know how to balance a check book, or write a business proposal.

Check out some of the latest college courses that are being taught to kids:
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2009/09/01/oddball-college-courses-fall

(Ummm. . . Sorry about ranting there)

 

[Proteus214]

People just hate to have the words "video game" or even just "game" in courses. I took two major classes in game design and development that should have been called "2D Game Development" and "3D Game Development" respectively, instead they were dubbed "Foundations of 2D/3D Programming."

Kudos to them for not dressing it up.

 

[Robert632]

i'm disturbed that a class like this needs to exist just to ask kids questions that they most likely have already asked themselves or other people. really, the example of a deep questions wasn't very deep.

on a less rantty note, i do see why parents are getting annoyed at this, but from the sounds of it, it's just learning about a certain type of of media in school. the type that happens to be the only form of media which parents have a vendetta about there being violence in.

 

[Soxafloppin]

Well if there really interesting in guitar hero, then why not? i guess? sorta.

 

[Barky13]

In general I think universities are a bit too liberal/left wing, but in this case as someone who feels that video games are not given enough respect, I can't help but support the class.

To put things into perspective, I see no real reason why many art classes (and what art is, is entirely subjective) are not considered to be a waste, but video games are. All this seems to be doing is elevating video games to the level of another art. Honestly if things like performance art, and interpetive dance can be considered worthy of having classes based around them, then so can video games (if I understand the subject correctly).

Given that someone had to sell this idea to the College's board of directors, since they are the ones paying for it through their tuitions and such, I'd imagine there is probably something to it.

Even a lot of the liberal stuff that I think is pushing it, at least has SOME logic behind it, even if I disagree with it.

Right now I think the issue is one where your looking at a conflict in a changing society. The Baby Boomers grew up as thinking of games as "just for kids". Things changed as the games grew up with Generation X, but like all "older generations" they are stuck in their own ways of thinking and have a hard time adapting. This is also why we have issues over things like sex and violence in video games (and the very existance of 'M' rated titles), and why I think we need to hold out and oppose people like Obama and Clinton (no matter what their reasoning or how well intentioned) until we see that tiny portion of Generation X that actually made something of itself take over. This ia arguably one of "our" issues.

I disagree with the comparison to art. In art class you draw, paint, whatever but in this class you don't make games yourself. I'd say this class is the equivalent to learning how to look at art. There's also the fact that you can make money off of art. How many people can you think of that make serious amounts of money playing video games.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

If the students really want to pay the tuition for that class, which I'm guessing will help them in no way imaginable in the pursuit of an actual career, more power to them. However, I can completely understand a pissed parent whose kid didn't manage to qualify for a sufficient scholarship, and therefore has to pay for said kid's college education.

I like me some games, but I'm not shelling out hundreds of dollars to listen to Dr. Dragonforcington talk about the sociological impact of Guitar Hero 2's playlist.

 

[Proteus214]

This is further proof how the extreme liberals are ruining education. (I am a liberal, just closer to the center) You pay thousands of dollars for your kid to get a college degree and when they come out they don't know anything. Because at Georgetown University they spent almost $5,000 taking a course called "The Philosophy of Star Trek."

Colleges have been adding more and more classes that really don't prep you or teach you the skills you need in the real world. These kids are taking classes on "Harry Potter Lit" and they don't know how to balance a check book, or write a business proposal.

Check out some of the latest college courses that are being taught to kids:
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2009/09/01/oddball-college-courses-fall

(Ummm. . . Sorry about ranting there)

Did you read the descriptions of those courses in your link? There is actual merit to the topics they cover, and the best part is, they are classes act as bridges to how these concepts relate to today's culture. I honestly couldn't think of anything more relevant to aid in real world applications. Honestly, I learned a hell of a lot more about software design and the software engineering process from courses about video games than I did from the actual course titled "Software Engineering."

Also, balancing a check book? Isn't that something your parents teach you? Any decent college out there has free seminars for students on financial planning and required professional communications courses.

 

[hansari]

"I just wrote a big check here," says Glen Jackson, father of a new NYU student. "I'm not paying for him to study video games. It seems a bit watered down."

Parents like him should just tell his kid then that he'll withdraw this semesters tuition if he doesn't drop out immediately. (assuming Mr. Jackson has not done so already)

 

[George Palmer]

This is further proof how the extreme liberals are ruining education. (I am a liberal, just closer to the center) Check out some of the latest college courses that are being taught to kids..

You consider yourself a liberal, yet you get your information from Fox "News". Nope, doesn't pass the sniff test. C'mon just come out of the closet. Its ok to admit your a conservative. Just do yourself a favor no matter what side you land on. Don't get your info and quote fox. It makes you sound fucking retarded.

"These kids are taking classes on "Harry Potter Lit" and they don't know how to balance a check book, or write a business proposal."

Thats because those kids aren't taking the correct classes. Its their fault. They need to take the correct classes and THEN take the extra classes. Don't blame the "extreme liberals" for providing more choices. Blame yourself for not teaching your kids how to make good decisions.

 

[K_Dub]

I don't see whats so bad about it. The kids get to play games, which is always fun. Not only that, but they take a look as to why people are sucked into games. It's basically the study of psychology on a more entertaining level.