After visiting Berlin last summer, I was in a strong “teachable moment” in that I wanted to re-learn the History of the XXth century: I have a lot of catching up to do since my high school days, when I didn't see any clear link between that subject-matter and my personal life. I would have loved to find a good interactive program about that but since the scope of my not knowing was quite wide, I decided to borrow a few videos, bought a book and started studying it.

 

 

Holocaust game

 

After posting about this experience, Marie told me that Tracy had blogged about a Holocaust game she found after reading Prensky's suggestions that this part of History could be taught through role-playing:

"In my talks I now include “thought experiments” where I invite professors and teachers to suggest a subject or topic, and I attempt – on the spot – to invent a game or other Digital Native method for learning it. (….) The Holocaust? Create a simulation where students role-play the meeting at Wannsee, or one where they can experience the true horror of the camps."

(Prensky 2001, p. 6)

 

Imagination Is The Only Escape is about a Jewish boy in France during the Nazi occupation who creates “a fantasy land that becomes the basis of the game's world” in order to escape the horrors of the situation (Kotaku 2008).

There is no doubt that the principle behind this game will shock many people and it has reminded me of the movie La vita è bella by Roberto Benigni (1997), which develops a similar and controversial scenario (though not identical).

 

 

Debate surrounding its pedagogical effectiveness

 

I think what disturbs people most is that we associate the term game (which is often associated with fun) with such serious and dramatic true events. But we also play movies, don't we? The main difference being that this game may be more engaging and as such, may have a stronger emotional impact on children. So the point of view and message that is conveyed is of utmost important because it may be strongly remembered by the players.

If that's done with a real concern about psychological and pedagogical implications, would that be a bad thing? According to the History Facts that the user is shown, this game could potentially make users aware (too crudely?) of the atrocities that occurred and perhaps, prompt them into learning more through books or other media (straight away or later in life). Anyway, that's what happened to me when I played Darfur Is Dying (2008): I learned a lot and it made me want to learn even more. But the Nintendo DS is targeted at a wide audience and it could have different effects on other people. But because of my limited knowledge of these topics and the fact I haven't played the game, I haven't got any clear opinion on it though.

However, the debate surrounding these issues is particularly crucial in a period where the Nazi ideology appears to be more and more popular among certain people, particularly in Germany (no reference about that TV report I saw some time ago). Likewise, there is currently a controversy over a German History magazine that publishes fac-similés of old Nazi newspapers from the 3^rd Reich (de Vergès, M. 2009) that stirs up this debate.

What's important for us to notice is that the most important pieces of knowledge are those that are particularly subject to the debate surrounding the effectiveness and relevance of computer-based learning. However, I believe that much of it depends on the game design itself and how it fits the needs and sensitivity of its users.

 

 

References:

 

 

de Vergès, M. (2009). La reproduction de journaux nazis par un magasine interdite en Allemagne, Le Monde, 30 January 2009, p. 7.

 

Darfur Is Dying (2008). Computer game. mtvU.
http://kotaku.com/360003/exclusive-eternitys-child-creator-attempts-to-tackle-the-holocaust

Kotaku (2008). Exclusive: Eternity's child creator attempts to tackle the Holocaust.
http://kotaku.com/360003/exclusive-eternitys-child-creator-attempts-to-tackle-the-holocaust

La vita è bella (1998). Movie by Roberto Benigni. Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica.

 

Prensky, M (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. In On the Horizon, NCB University Press 9; 5 (Oct 2001)
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

 

Swallow, T. (2008). The Games People Play.
Retrieved: 30 January 2009. http://holyroodpark.net/hirondelle/weblog/1481.html