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Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
38
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Posted - 2012.12.10 13:40:00 -
[1] - Quote
Several years ago I used to be a secondary mathematics teacher (high school to our US friends I think). As part of my duties I was obligated to run a weekly after school session for some extra-curricular activity. When I was asked what I'd like to do I had two thoughts, one was Eve and one was golf.
I spent some time going through the merits of using Eve as a learning tool, even going as far as to describe the game to my head of department, but ultimately the logistics of running the game on aging computers and the red tape nightmare of ensuring the online security of the kids meant that I went with the golf option.
However, I still think that MMOs and Eve in particular could be a fantastic tool for teaching and learning. Putting aside the obvious problems of trying to run an MMO from a school network, Eve essentially encourages the following behaviours:
Communication
You dont get far in Eve solo, especially at the start and so learning to ask the right questions and listen to the answers is vital. A skill many youngsters seem to lack these days.
Cooperation
It's not just about teaming up but learning to work effectively together. Find someone who compliments you with a different set of skills like DPS and logistics or cloakers and tacklers etc.
Mathematics
Percentages, stacking penalties, skill planning, gun tracking, ship fitting, optimisation and absorbing technical information are just a few of the more obvious ones. Eve is full of this stuff and could probably cover 80% of a secondary maths curriculum.
In order to squeeze every last bit of dps and tank from your ship you need to delve into the numbers. The kids who spend the time to run the numbers will probably win the fights. Not a bad lesson right there.
Competition
Want to blow up your friends? You're going to need to understand the game mechanics, learn from your mistakes and experiment with different tactics and ship fits. You will have to accept ship losses as a learning experience and come back stronger for it. I've noticed a lot of kids these days deal very badly with losing which includes not getting their own way.
Sharing
Eve rewards you for working together but you wont find many people willing to team up with you if you keep taking all the loot for yourself. Learn to share and everyone benefits more than if you work alone.
Social Interactions
That contract in Jita selling a fully faction fitted Tengu for 100mil looks too good to be true, it's probably a scam. As with real life, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Better the kids learn this lesson with Eve money than with the real stuff.
Finance
Eve has an economy almost as complex as real life and the basic lessons of supply and demand are easily experienced. How do you minimise the cost of what you are buying and how are you going to maximise the value of what you are selling and what other ways are there to make money?
Spacial Awareness
Ok, the physics in Eve aren't as per proper space flight but you still need to be aware of where you are in 3 dimensions in relation to objects, other player ships and NPCs.
Other Stuff
I'm sure people can think of more but I've burned out for now.
When I have kids of my own and they are old enough, I certainly wont have a problem with them playing Eve assuming they are properly supervised. It teaches so many important lessons.
Playing MMOs in the classroom is probably unlikely to happen for some time, if ever, but the potential is there. When I was teaching, the older teachers were continuously agonising over how to engage kids in the classroom and make learning more holistic and meaningful. This could be an answer.
Eve online isn't just a spaceship game, it's a life skills simulator. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
38
|
Posted - 2012.12.10 13:44:00 -
[2] - Quote
There's always one... |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
38
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Posted - 2012.12.10 13:52:00 -
[3] - Quote
Liner Xiandra wrote:
In my opinion, something that is severely lacking in education today is empathy, ethics and being good for your word.
EVE is designed to disregard all of these qualities.
That's an interesting point, although I would say that someone who continuously breaks his word will struggle to make much headway (of course there are exceptions).
Pirates who get a reputation for not honouring ransoms will find their income takes a dent. A character that steals from their corporation will be lucky to gain entry to another.
By building an honest rep I have had opportunities to make significant isk that would not otherwise be open. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
38
|
Posted - 2012.12.10 13:54:00 -
[4] - Quote
Stitcher wrote:I did a Bachelor of Engineering in computer games design at Staffordshire University a few years back. We had a surprisingly large number of EVE players on that one course, and it got mentioned a LOT in the module on MMO design and marketing.
We never got around to actually playing it in lectures (though we did play it in the lab while waiting for our projects to compile and suchlike) but there's a lot to be learned from this game.
That course sounds awesome. I did plain old Mathematics. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
40
|
Posted - 2012.12.10 15:39:00 -
[5] - Quote
Stitcher wrote:
but you steal one little dreadnought BPO... :p
I know! Some people are way too sensitive. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
41
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Posted - 2012.12.10 16:31:00 -
[6] - Quote
Liner Xiandra wrote:Seven Koskanaiken wrote:Liner Xiandra wrote:empathy, ethics and being good for your word.
EVE is designed to disregard all of these qualities. Thus preparing them for success in the real world careers of investment banking, journalism, law, government, management, advertising, real estate, insurance............ No disagreeing here, though you could argue that the sorry state of current world affairs is a result of these successful careers.
I think schools have a duty to prepare children for the world as it is rather than how we would like it to be.
And yes, I know how cynical I sound and I don't like it either. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
41
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Posted - 2012.12.10 16:41:00 -
[7] - Quote
Jumpers.
Banana.
You'll have to forgive me, I'm not familiar with the rules of your game. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
43
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Posted - 2012.12.10 17:01:00 -
[8] - Quote
Stegas Tyrano wrote:If I ever get high in the corporate ladder I might use EVE as an interviewing tool, see how much they can pick up in a day/week of playing the game.
Is "getting high in the corporate ladder" a euphemism?  |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
43
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Posted - 2012.12.10 18:02:00 -
[9] - Quote
Unsuccessful At Everything wrote:Alright kids, remember when you get in a fight on the playground, let the other kid throw the first punch and get gategun aggro, then orbit him and punch away. If you start to lose that fight, have 3 invisible younger kids decloak and throw sand in his eyes and then you all run away.
Hah! Brilliant.
Also, didn't we banish you a few days ago? |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
44
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Posted - 2012.12.10 20:27:00 -
[10] - Quote
@ Ranger - Absolutely buddy.
@ Natsett - Some kids are lucky enough to have both these things but unfortunately they are in the minority. They all deserve it, few get it.
@ Erik - You know, I reckon CCP might actually be cool enough to do something like that if a school approached them. |
Complex Potential
No Fixed Abode
Mildly Sober
45
|
Posted - 2012.12.10 20:36:00 -
[11] - Quote
Heh, you sound like the voice in the back of my head that I had to keep quiet at staff meetings  |
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