SimSchool Thursday, March 23, 2006

Now here's a new idea: SimSchool, a classroom simulation to help teachers to learn how to teach better.

SimSchool puts the player in control of a classroom. The player is challenged to teach the entire class, while taking into account each student's specific learning style and behavioral quirks. I played a prerelease version and it's an interesting attempt to simulate classroom management. The player has to look up each student on a computer to get insights into their past performance and to plan how to address that particular student accordingly. Difficulty increases by adding more students. And the students have some fairly amusing responses to incompatible teacher responses. I'm not sure how playable the game is--for teachers or ordinary players--but it's always good to see new, unexpected experiences operationalized in a game like this.
—Water Cooler Games

Computer simulations can afford us unique opportunities to explore new techniques and explore hypothetical situations in a way that's safe and repeatable. If it works for fighter pilots, why not for teachers?