Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Games can be great teaching instruments. Some people are able to use computer games as education tools. Computer games, however, are costly to create. Simulations of real life can be created with far fewer resources. I recommend two places where you can experience such simulations.

I just finished reading an article about education through games (see reference below). The authors exhort computer science and engineering schools to use video and computer games as tools for educating programmers and engineers. That sounds like a great idea, and the authors present evidence of its benefits. I, however, see one big problem:

It takes a lot of money, time, and expertise to make a good computer game.

I don’t have any of those resources. I don’t know of any universities that have an abundance of those resources.

I do know of another source of such educational games. Games are simulations, and simulations of real life are not difficult or costly to create. I write that with confidence as I have created many such simulations of real life.

Later this month (March 2009), several acquaintances of mine are running a week-long seminar known as PSL (Problem Solving Leadership). PSL is a seminar that was taught for many years by Jerry Weinberg and a number of colleagues. Weinberg is now running PSL a few more times with Esther Derby and Johanna Rothman. I highly recommend attending PSL to experience simulations. What you will learn from PSL will far outweigh its costs.

Another excellent opportunity to experience simulations is the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) Conference.  This occurs in November of each year. So you know, I led simulations at the AYE Conference for several years. Every session at AYE is centered about simulations.

Reference

“To Game or Not to Game,” Christiane Gresse von Wangenheim and Forrest Shull, IEEE Software, March/April 2009. pp. 92.95, http://computer.org.