I've always enjoyed teaching. Though I've done a fair amount of guest lecturing and training over the past few years, I don't teach on a regular basis. Maybe at some point in the future. Thats not to say I'm good at it. Nor is it to say that I am anywhere near qualified to have any intellectual influence on the minds of young people. But these are technicalities not worthy of our time ;-)
As a result of this interest, I've spent a little time here and there thinking about what exactly I'd want to teach if I could design my own course from scratch. Though there are a myriad of topics I'd be interested in (tactical military history anyone?), you can rest assured that at some point, a class or two...hundred on video games has crossed my mind. As you can probably guess, thinking about such things sends me into "kid in the candy store" mode. And yet with all of the video game themed courses I've thought about, there was one area that never crossed my mind: teaching people how to play games. Not only have I thought about it, but I've never heard of anyone else thinking about it, much less doing it. At least up until a few days ago.
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I submit to you UC Berkeley's Advanced Starcraft Theory course. For your reading pleasure, allow me to offer you up a juicy mouthful of the course description.
This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game Starcraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced Starcraft theory.
Class will start with lecture and usually include a special discussion topic having to do with the day’s lecture to inspire new and original thought. At the end of lecture, there may be time to analyze student-submitted replays to illustrate a point or to improve analysis.
Now before you and skeptical cat call shenanigans and wave pitchforks at the downfall of modern education, the course is offered under Cal's DeCal democratic education program, which allows students to teach classes in wide range of subject areas of interest to them. To give you an idea of some other DeCal courses, Cal students can enjoy "The Ethics of Star Trek", "Sex and the City and the Contemporary Woman", or "Alternate Realities: An Introduction to Phillip K. Dick". All DeCal courses are 1-2 credits, pass/fail. Crazy Cal liberals... Wait a minute <deep meaningful sigh>
Despite its lack of standing as a faculty facilitated course, and the fact that this course might very well be seen within the Cal community as a joke, it does make me stop and broaden my own notions of learning about games. Up until now, my mind has worked under the assumption that there is teaching about games, and games used to teach. But using a game to teach you about improving your performance in a game never seemed like something worthy of anyone's time - at least not anyone serious about teaching or learning.
Reflective gameplay exercises and invoking the readings of Sun-Tzu could very well be fluffy activities in a fluffy class. But... what if they arent? If don'e well, this course could actually make sense. Could actually be of value. And even *gasp* be academically rigorous.
Is it totally crazy? Maybe. And there might not be anything to take away from a course about improving your gameplay. But then again, there might just be something to it. Don't think in terms of making someone better at Starcraft, though perhaps that might be a side effect. But think of it in terms of teaching people to think, reflect, and theorize their play in a comprehensive way, akin to some of the research Constance Steinkuhler is doing. Hmm.
Maybe a course on becoming a better gamer isnt quite so crazy after all...
Image from icanhascheezburger.com
As a result of this interest, I've spent a little time here and there thinking about what exactly I'd want to teach if I could design my own course from scratch. Though there are a myriad of topics I'd be interested in (tactical military history anyone?), you can rest assured that at some point, a class or two...hundred on video games has crossed my mind. As you can probably guess, thinking about such things sends me into "kid in the candy store" mode. And yet with all of the video game themed courses I've thought about, there was one area that never crossed my mind: teaching people how to play games. Not only have I thought about it, but I've never heard of anyone else thinking about it, much less doing it. At least up until a few days ago.
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I submit to you UC Berkeley's Advanced Starcraft Theory course. For your reading pleasure, allow me to offer you up a juicy mouthful of the course description.
This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game Starcraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced Starcraft theory.
Class will start with lecture and usually include a special discussion topic having to do with the day’s lecture to inspire new and original thought. At the end of lecture, there may be time to analyze student-submitted replays to illustrate a point or to improve analysis.
Now before you and skeptical cat call shenanigans and wave pitchforks at the downfall of modern education, the course is offered under Cal's DeCal democratic education program, which allows students to teach classes in wide range of subject areas of interest to them. To give you an idea of some other DeCal courses, Cal students can enjoy "The Ethics of Star Trek", "Sex and the City and the Contemporary Woman", or "Alternate Realities: An Introduction to Phillip K. Dick". All DeCal courses are 1-2 credits, pass/fail. Crazy Cal liberals... Wait a minute <deep meaningful sigh> Despite its lack of standing as a faculty facilitated course, and the fact that this course might very well be seen within the Cal community as a joke, it does make me stop and broaden my own notions of learning about games. Up until now, my mind has worked under the assumption that there is teaching about games, and games used to teach. But using a game to teach you about improving your performance in a game never seemed like something worthy of anyone's time - at least not anyone serious about teaching or learning.
Reflective gameplay exercises and invoking the readings of Sun-Tzu could very well be fluffy activities in a fluffy class. But... what if they arent? If don'e well, this course could actually make sense. Could actually be of value. And even *gasp* be academically rigorous.
Is it totally crazy? Maybe. And there might not be anything to take away from a course about improving your gameplay. But then again, there might just be something to it. Don't think in terms of making someone better at Starcraft, though perhaps that might be a side effect. But think of it in terms of teaching people to think, reflect, and theorize their play in a comprehensive way, akin to some of the research Constance Steinkuhler is doing. Hmm.
Maybe a course on becoming a better gamer isnt quite so crazy after all...
Image from icanhascheezburger.com
@Brett -
I think that is what makes me skeptical in my own right. Using advanced calculus might very well work as a means to make better Starcraft players, but I worry you might miss the forest for the trees. Deep Blue could be taught the mathematical analysis behind chess, to the point that it was capable of beating Kasparov. But Deep Blue couldnt do anything else. Focus too much on the specifics, and you risk de-emphasizing the decision making and reflection that are the skills of value outside of a single game. Of course I don't know much about the course - so thats purely conjecture. Sadly I think its only open to Cal students =(
@Shannon -
The class had filled to capacity at 62 students if the course website is accurate. I didn't mention it to our class, but I saw someone else had sent out an email about it!
@Cole -
All in good time =)
Anyone enrolled yet? Have you told Richard Taylor? I'm impressed that you had time to whip this together in your spare time!
Looks like you found your calling! When will Stubbs offer his course?
I read the description a different way. You'll learn how to do analysis of complicated situations using mathematical models. You'll learn how to make competent (winning) decisions in complicated situations by using these analyzes. Finally, there will be some learning by doing.
Will it transfer to real-world situations? That's the million-dollar question.
I'm not stuck on the lecture with hopefully some time left over for other things, but this is a great idea overall.
Can we audit the course?