College Professor Requires Students to Study Portal

[Glamorgan]

Woah. This guy.... is my god!!!!

 

[Jazoni89]

Lucky students get the best teacher on the planet.

Exactly my thoughts. Games like Rome: Total War can be excellent teaching games as well regarding the history and such. Man, I want such people to be more widespread.

Wierd you say that...their was a educational programme here in the UK a few years back called Time commanders which they played a game of Rome: total war (abiet highly modified) in which they played a series of important battles in romes long history. They also talked about the history of the battles and who won, it was extremely good.

 

[cystemic]

this is bloody genius. I wish they'd include Heavy Rain in my Crime Writing elective in English Extension 1. i used it as a basis for one of my creative writing tasks and got top marks.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

That is SO cool.
I hope this starts some sort of trend of using video games as "teaching."

 

[Fusionxl]

.... Really?

Why Portal?
Portal has no deep meaning, it doesn't focus of humanity, it's just a damn puzzle game!

I have to disagree, it was a game about a trapped individual being treated like a mouse in a maze and motivated by something that didn't actually exist. It's a gold mine for human studies

 

[Kaltazraza]

I wish it was my teacher.
All teachers should be like that guy.

 

[Radelaide]

Can I get a degree in Portal? That'd be awesome and just add to my nerdy cred

 

[Nico III]

What games in particular?

So far she's used Guitar Hero, Endless Ocean and Mario Kart. I doubt the young kids would be suited to playing Portal just yet...

 

[Moriarty70]

Ok I didn't really understand the 'backstage' stuff but that seems pretty cool I guess. What does it have to do with the course though. I don't understand really...

In the context of "fundamental questions of humanity blah blah blah", i assume it means things you don't just tell to strangers, or even to anyone. Like, for example, the details of your sexual life and such. Or your plans of "borrowing" an AC-130 and some napalm to burn down the Activision headquarters. Or that you are secretly an alien invader planning to capture Earth's underwater mineral deposits.

Or maybe i've got it all wrong.

Actually you're on the right track. It helps if you're an actor/know plenty of actors. With the exception of intense method actors, most are only "in character" within 3-4 steps of being on stage. Other than that you're not worried about how the audience views you and you become yourself again. You worry more about the technical side of things such as props in the right place, etc. etc.

Carry this over into real life and when you're alone in your room, apartment what ever, you don't worry about social norms or behaviour. When you're with your friends or strangers you have a role to play and things you do or don't do depending on the situation, you're on stage. And just like an actor on stage, you're usually in this role before you're seen, such as right before you open the door.

 

[Risingblade]

Damn! I should have gone there!

 

[The Austin]

.... Really?

Why Portal?
Portal has no deep meaning, it doesn't focus of humanity, it's just a damn puzzle game!

Someone was not paying attention during their playthrough. There was some meaty stuff under those puzzles.

No, no there wasn't.
I'm just not the kind of person who reads into things that weren't there.

 

[Corpse XxX]

Lucky students get the best teacher on the planet.

There should definitly be more of his kind

 

[Corpse XxX]

When he gets a TF2 study going, i will join his class instantly!

 

[Drexlor]

It is about time that people started taking games seriously. There is so much that we can learn from them. Noe if you will excuse me I'm going to go and... study.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Besides how awesome that teacher is, this is a great moment for us gamers. Games are now begining to be taken so seriously that they are considered a good study material. Hopefully it wont be long before we have "Studying the deeper meanings of Mario" classes or "God of War's symbolism" (Am totaly making these up. Just to be funny) electives.

 

[cke]

That's pretty awesome. This man deserves a cookie.

Or, perhaps, a cake.

 

[Jake the Snake]

That's pretty awesome. This man deserves a cookie.

Or, perhaps, a cake.

We can't, it was a lie.

 

[x -- A L P H A prime]

i. want. this. class.

 

[viking97]

That's pretty awesome. This man deserves a cookie.

he deserves five cookies for every blade of grass on planet kashyk.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

This is excellent. I just have one question: what about the non-gamer students who might not be able to beat it? Maybe a let's play or some sort of walkthrough is in order. The problem with that is, if one doesn't play a game for his or herself, he doesn't get the full experience.

Although, if one of my professors assigned me to watch a let's play for class, that would be awesome.