Online Courses Help You Learn About Games

December 29, 2009

OK, so it is the week between Christmas and New Year's Day and there is no school. But if you want to consider expanding your horizons, you may want to take some online courses.

Examiner.com has an interesting feature on 100 online college courses, ranging from Harry Potter Lit to History, Politics and the Taste of Chocolate. There are even several that deal with the medium of videogames.

Culled from the course selections:

  • The Strategy of Starcraft: Fans of this game say it’s one of the most difficult to master, but this course at Berkeley aims to help students learn the game better through lessons from one of its creators. [UC Berkeley]
  • Games and Civic Engagement: Learn about the role video games might play in the future of education and community programs through this course. [MIT]
  • The Art of Warcraft: A Closer Look at the Virtual World Phenomenon: Through this course, nerds and artists alike can learn about the aesthetics of the video game world. [Oberlin Experimental College]
  • Video Game History: Rise of a New Medium: Whether you loved your NES back in the day or can’t get enough X Box, this course teaches students about the history of games and where they’re headed in the future. [Oberlin Experimental College]

Other courses that might be of interest to geeks and gamers:

  • Invented Languages: Klingon and Beyond: You don’t have to be a sci-fi nerd to appreciate the subject matter in this course at the U of Texas focusing on the reasons, rules and social realities of created languages. [U of Texas, Austin]
  • Elvish, the language of "Lord of the Rings": This course was taught by the world’s foremost expert on this language, who was even a consultant to the makers of the films. While not practical, it certainly speaks to super fans of the series. [U of Wisconsin]
  • Age of Piracy: Johnny Depp’s kooky but sexy Jack Sparrow has gotten many students interested in learning more about the pirating arts, and this course offers them the chance to take a look at the much less appealing, real-life lives of pirates. [Arizona State]
  • The Science of Superheroes: While it might sound like fun and games, this course takes superheroes as a means to teach students real lessons about physics. [U of California Irvine]
  • Philosophy and Star Trek: Students who take this class will not only get to watch Star Trek, but delve into the issues the show discusses like time travel, a sense of reality, free will and more. [Georgetown]
  • Star Trek and Religion: Look at religion through the lens of the Star Trek world, with discussions that address both supporting and criticizing religion. [U of Indiana]
  • Myth and Science Fiction: Star Wars, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings: Explore larger issues of myth and speculative fiction through these popular movies. [Centre College]

I wish I had the option for some of these courses when I was in college.

Comments

Re: Online Courses Help You Learn About GamesB

Submitted by Technogeek on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 19:06.

I read a book while I was in high school, "The Metaphysics of Star Trek", that was actually a fairly decent introductory look at philosophy using Star Trek episodes to explore various philosophical concepts.

I suppose it's not too surprising that something similar would be done as a college course -- as 'lol nerds' as the show may seem to the population at large, there's some very thought-provoking stuff in there if you know where to look. (Heck, the 'Chain of Command' two-parter in TNG is probably the most realistic look at torture as an interrogation tactic that's aired on TV within the past quarter-century.)

Re: Online Courses Help You Learn About Games

Submitted by Kabyk on Thu, 12/31/2009 - 12:33.

I don't think it is the one listed above, but I did read a little while back about a high Math class at some California school that uses Starcraft as a means of learning the material. I can't be sure exactly how it all fits together, but it was a very high level math course.

Re: Online Courses Help You Learn About Games

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Fri, 01/01/2010 - 09:38.

When you say high level do you mean Calculus & pre-cal? Or engineering albert einstein math?

 

 

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: Online Courses Help You Learn About Games

Submitted by Kabyk on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 12:31.

I mean grade level 400-500 (senior college lvl and up). These are strictly advanced math courses for math and physics majors.

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Poll

Will there be any female presenters at the unveiling of Microsoft’s new console?:

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/ea-sports-developer-calls-wii-u-crap-and-nintendo-wa-508481261 EA Sports Canada Moron calls Wii U 'Crap' and Nintendo 'Walking Dead'05/18/2013 - 11:42am
E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am
E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am
MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am
E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am
MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am
E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm
E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm
Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am
E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am
MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am
E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am
Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am
Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm
Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm
Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm
E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm
quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm
IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm
BearDogg-X: http://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm
All shouts
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician