College Professor Requires Students to Study Portal

[Dectilon]

I hope the teacher isn't a moron and actually has some specifics in mind. I've experienced a lot of teacher gimmicks firsthand, and usually we came away from the experience dumber and less knowledgeable than before.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Best. Class. Ever.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Well thats just silly

 

[Iffat Nur]

It can also be used in science class, to teach physics.

 

[laol1999]

thats kinda lucky but id probably fail the class because i almost shit myself at every turret ambush

 

[Dectilon]

No. I'm quite serious.

Have you ever written a English Literature essay?

When I do I often have to read the book several times over and when writing the essay, read through specific segments for quotes, themes and other writing material.

Imagine that with a video game. Granted a short video game, but that's 3-5 hours depending on your speed and many other factors.

Now imagine searching through the game for a specific moment.

It'd be bloody difficult and time consuming.

Give me Shakespeare anyday.

One solution would be to record your playthrough using fraps or something similar. Most of the puzzles really aren't that relevant to the discussion probably. Most of the important stuff happens towards the end, so I guess you could just save there. Once you've played through the game once the puzzles take a lot less time.

 

[quantum mechanic]

This will go on my list of (hopeful) required study materials at my college, along with Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, Star Trek, and BioShock. Unfortunately, there's no way it will ever get any notice, but it's a nice thought.

 

[Marik2]

Well thats just silly

Not really Portal is a very intelligent game its all about physics and other smart stuff I cant understand

 

[quantum mechanic]

IAWTC: I wish he had chosen a game that more new people could get into. Portal is amazing for us, but as Yahtzee noted not long ago, it's scary and difficult to enter the digital 3D world if you never have before.

While that's of course true[footnote]I even got attacked before for making that point, but that's another matter[/footnote], I'd say Portal would definitely be the first fps game I'd give someone to start with. It's puzzle focus means frustration by death isn't anywhere near as much a factor as usual, puzzles require you more to figure them out than be technically difficult, and the humour and writing would interest non-gamers. It's how I got my girlfriend into games in general, when in the previous week she rolled her eyes after I pulled an all nighter finishing it.

Sure you could give them an easier start, but can you think of a simple game with a good story?
I suppose there's indie games, but they don't really tend to have too much scope.

Another factor in Portal's favor is that the vast majority of college students have played some form of video game, so it's not quite like starting from scratch.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

You know HOW this guy convinced the staff to include this on the reading list? Did he just show it to them, gave them the games transcript, or let them just play it? I assume it had to take SOMETHING big to convince them to allow Portal next to Dante's Inferno.

 

[OriginalJoeBlack]

Not a bad idea, but i would rather put it into high & public schools for the training of logic, than for...whatever they study up there.

 

[Twilight.falls]

That guy is the coolest teacher ever.

Hands down.

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

I wish I had that class.

 

[zombie711]

will they learn to predict the realse date for half life 2 episode 3

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

This reminds me of a ICT ELP I had to do once. You had to (baisically putting it) explain how a game worked. I chose HALO:ODST as it was quite simple.

 

[Avayu]

Of course it's awesome to see games being used as educational material. A lot of games have more to say than what is evident at the surface. It also shows that games have become more accepted in our society.
But I also agree with the people worried about gaming being no fun when done as homework. Really, dismantling and picking apart books is hard enough and takes away a great part of the fun of simply reading and letting it sink in. On the other hand, who ever said that learning had to be fun ... When games want to be taken seriously (as art or whatever) we'll probably have to pay the price that sometimes we'll have to play games not for fun, but to analyse them as we do with other pieces of art.

 

[Evilsanta]

What an awesome professor. I so wish i hade that class here.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Is it possible to make a post about Portal now without referencing a meme?