10 Best Games with Real Educational Value?

[Jimbuna]

GWX....teaches you patience and how to create a structured plan

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

GWX....teaches you patience and how to create a structured plan

Yeah, I was half-tempted to suggest that if students could figure out how to successfully mod SH3 to GWX that it might qualify as a decent homework assignment for a computer lab class.

On the other hand, if they could figure out how to get SH4 to run bug free they would earn an automatic A for the semester... (and then they'd have to show the rest of us how to do it!) :rotfl:

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

Yeah, I was half-tempted to suggest that if students could figure out how to successfully mod SH3 to GWX that it might qualify as a decent homework assignment for a computer lab class.

On the other hand, if they could figure out how to get SH4 to run bug free they would earn an automatic A for the semester... (and then they'd have to show the rest of us how to do it!) :rotfl:

A+ me thinks Kaleun

[fatty]

RE: SH3/4... these games might be good for inspiring students to do historical research on their own, but the games themselves, unmodded at least, don't teach too much except that submarines roamed the ocean, blew stuff up, and were blown up. As far as the trig and such, you're assuming that you can captivate the attention of a group of typical 15-18 year olds to play on 100% difficulty long enough to figure out what kind of math to apply and where.

My choice is any non-graphical Zork game. Easy to set up and play, no graphical simulation of violence, and teaches language skills which, IMHO, is what graduating students in my region are lacking the most today.

I became a speed-reader from playing MUDs in high school. Since I stopped, I've lost that ability - it's a shame there are no good ones left

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by fatty

RE: SH3/4... these games might be good for inspiring students to do historical research on their own, but the games themselves, unmodded at least, don't teach too much except that submarines roamed the ocean, blew stuff up, and were blown up. As far as the trig and such, you're assuming that you can captivate the attention of a group of typical 15-18 year olds to play on 100% difficulty long enough to figure out what kind of math to apply and where.

My choice is any non-graphical Zork game. Easy to set up and play, no graphical simulation of violence, and teaches language skills which, IMHO, is what graduating students in my region are lacking the most today.

I became a speed-reader from playing MUDs in high school. Since I stopped, I've lost that ability - it's a shame there are no good ones left

So lemme get this straight...

You think it's highly unlikely to get the average (assumed attention deficit) 15-18yr old interested in playing SH on 100% realism and yet somehow you expect they'll be willing to put down Halo for an hour to play Zork?

I'm afraid the era of text-based adventure games has long passed...

However, you do bring up a good point. There may be some adventure games out there that do involve a deep story line and plot that does require some reading comprehension and problem solving skills. Perhaps something like Neverwinter Nights, KoTOR, or Final Fantasy then?

[fatty]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

So lemme get this straight...

You think it's highly unlikely to get the average (assumed attention deficit) 15-18yr old interested in playing SH on 100% realism and yet somehow you expect they'll be willing to put down Halo for an hour to play Zork?

I'm afraid the era of text-based adventure games has long passed...

However, you do bring up a good point. There may be some adventure games out there that do involve a deep story line and plot that does require some reading comprehension and problem solving skills. Perhaps something like Neverwinter Nights, KoTOR, or Final Fantasy then?

I submitted that thought on the basis of accessability; the students who are most in need of education beyond the base curriculum in the classroom are frequently underprivileged and likely not going to be able to afford a PC that can crunch the latest renditions of Silent Hunter. Text-based games are cheap and quick to develop and could be custom-tailored to seem more 'cool' e.g. change the setting to an urban atmosphere rather than fantasy. Further, they can be run on the decrepit PCs that I have encountered in public school classrooms and libraries.

Silent Hunter is fun, but I don't feel it has taught me any practical skills, as I don't see myself serving in the diesel boats in the near future. Learning to communicate with people beyond your typical urban youth vernacular is a good place to start opening opportunities.

[XLjedi]

@ Fatty

Well, OK...

I guess I was thinking more along the lines of:

If you have a gamer on your gift shopping list, you can purchase these popular games for them and also feel good about the fact that they are getting something educational benefit out of it.

...or maybe a teacher could put together some lesson plans that coincide with some of these games. If the students should happen to have the games, great! If not, they can still do the lesson.

Your taking a slightly different direction on the subject which is certainly valid but not really the direction that I was headed. Your approach is sorta like "Here's what the kids really need", but not necessarily what they'd actually play. But your opinion is valid, thanks for the input.

I'm looking for mainstream, popular PC and console games that gamers enjoy playing and also may have the added side benefit of educational value. Almost like your covertly inserting some learning into their free game time.

There are definitely math lessons embedded in the stock SH series... in particular, time-speed-distance problems, various trig and graphic plotting examples, intercepts, angles, degrees, relative vs. true, there's really quite a bit in there and much of it would seep through at even the lower realism settings.

An RTS for instance that involves historically accurate maps of Europe might indirectly benefit the geography student?

[geetrue]

The best thing about education and games would have to apply to Silent Hunter II, III and IV.

I have found out more about my computer and how it works due those three games.

I have found out how to add more ram memory, up grade my video card, clean my computer, how to defrag constantly, what video settings work and what settings don't work. I have found what page file means. I have added mods and deleated mods to get the game to work.

I have a better working relationship to my computer thanks to submarine sims and to be fair flight sim games like FSX, than any other reason.