Using Video Games to Learn Canadian History

Link: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d7fcf5a4421229c946c0

Can a student learn history by playing a video game? The answer is not only yes, but I would also add that when used effectively, video games can help students understand historical people, events and motivations in much greater richness and depth that can ever be learned using standard teaching techniques.  Learning from a textbook provides students with a secondary overview of history.  Teaching with primary sources provides students with a glimpse into the minds and lives of people living in the past.  However, using video game simulations provides students with first hand experiences into the types of decisions that leaders have to make in order to develop and maintain their nation.

HistoriCanada: The New World, a project funded by Telefilm Canada and supported by Canada’s National History Society is a mod pack that allows players to use Sid Meiers Civilization III video game infrastructure to play a Canadian History scenario in the historical time period of 1525 - 1762. In the video game, students are responsible to build a nation and lead a civilization. The process involves building and maintaining infrastructure, diplomacy and international relations, research and development and growth management. Essentially, the students are simulating real life decisions within historically framed environments. When playing using the Canadian history mod for Civilizations III, students play the game within the context of an environment that that accurately reflects the Canadian past.

The strength of this form of learning is that students get to develop an understanding of Canadian civilization that is rich and complex. It’s provides students with the ability to understand what the leaders of the past had to face by actually being faced with similar circumstances. Essentially, students learn through experience rather than just through reading from mainly secondary sources.  The nice bonus is that, as of this writing, Sid Meiers Civilization is now in it’s fourth version so I was able to get a copy of Civilization III for under $10!  Once you have Civilization III (complete), go to the HistoriCanada site and download the Canadian history mod pack.  Install and play!

Rather than learn history, experience history!