Computer technology has given humanity a lot. Actually, without them, the existence of a civilization in its current form would be impossible. Technologies provide communication for us, complement the human intellect, carry out a lot of calculations. For example, computers allow you to simulate that or another situation to see what can come of it.
It is clear that the scope of modeling is extremely wide. One of the spheres is the games where, in fact, an alternate reality is created that players learn. An example of such games can serve as Eve Online, Grand Theft Auto, Second Life. Scientists believe that games can be used as a tool for teaching historical sciences. Moreover, the story can be changed in the virtual space and explore the processes caused by these changes.
One of the groups of scientists who is seriously engaged in research in the field of history and games is a team from the University of Abdullah Gül in Turkey. They work under the direction of Mehmet Sucre Qurān. And they do not just work - scientists
have achieved the selection of a separate postgraduate course of study, the basis of which is the study of historical simulators for a better understanding of the subject of study.
The course includes three epochs: the Middle Ages, early modernity with its industrial evolution, the modern era with the study of 2 world wars. For the development of the course, games such as the Sid Meier's Civilization series from Firaxis games, the Total War series from the Creative Assembly, and the games Grand Strategy - Crusader Kings II, Europa Universalis IV, and Hearts of Iron IV from Paradox Interactive were used.
Each course module includes both the study of the epoch, the theoretical part, and the discussion element - that is. Seminars Moreover, discussions are conducted with an eye on the events taking place in the selected game. Students are given specific goals to achieve and then are asked about their experiences, including information on ways to achieve their goals. At seminars to this information add more historical data.
According to the scientists who developed this course, many historical games are almost ideal for studying history: “The series from Grand Strategy gives an understanding of what is happening at the required level of detail, with a high level of historical accuracy, a variety of nations and cultures.”
The medieval period is also studied using materials from the game Crusader Kings II. The Europa Universalis IV Title serves to familiarize with the era of early industrialization, while the Hearts of Iron IV helps to study modernity already - the 20th century and the events that took place then.
After completing each stage of training, graduate students write blog posts of about 500 words - these are their impressions. But now they express their opinion about what has happened as scientists in an essay of more than 3,000 words.
According
to the developers of the course, the games are good because they allow you not only to study, but also to feel the effect of certain factors in one or another historical era, including economics, religion, technology, politics and culture. Each of these factors played a decisive role in a certain epoch, most often influenced by a combination of several factors at once. Games allow in the literal sense of the word to dive into the era under study. The effect of such a learning process is much higher than from the usual method. Of course, the course is comprehensive, students also study the necessary literature, and to the same extent as their fellow graduate students from other universities.
Plus, boring for many dates, names, events become real - these are not just letters, but sensations and impressions. Plus, historians can model alternative processes — study what would be different if industrialization began later, or the
battle of Hastings would have been lost to William, not King Harold Godwinson.
Anyway, some scholars are already proposing to single out the “digital history” as a separate discipline. In Turkey, as we see, this has already happened. The hybrid course "books + games" has become very popular, and most importantly - it allows you to achieve learning goals more effectively than in the usual case. Probably, soon such courses will appear in universities of other countries.