Highschool: A Massively Multiplayer Real Life RPG

Computer technology has reshaped our lives, including how we learn. But have computer games been as equally transformative? The answer is a simple no, but educational gaming is on the rise and there is great potential in computer games to encourage social change, increase our knowledge and solve national and international problems. I want that to happen in our schools so that childhood education becomes a game.

I don't know anything about education, but...

I'm more a gamer than a teacher. I've had some experience being a pre-school mentor at Jumpstart, and being a camp counselor for 6-7 year olds. But I've had even more experience playing computer games. And I know how roleplaying game mechanics have affected how I play a game, and how they've made me want to keep playing.

Engineers and game designers have made similar points about gaming's potential to shape our behavior and we've seen how having fun can change behavior. The Montessori schools have turned almost every fun experience into a learning experience. There's no question that "fun" is educational.

...I Would Like To See Childhood Education Become A Game

We've learned from Facebook games like Farmville that people are willing to do pretty mundane things to get "points", and it can be pretty addictive. Jesse Schell made this point in February 2010. He asserted that games could affect our real-world behavior, to the point that technology embedded in toothbrushes could give us points for brushing our teeth. These points could be redeemable for free stuff, and would encourage us to change our behavior to gain more points. The list of uses goes on, and it's not an implausible scenario. In a more optimistic presentation, Jane McGonigal argued that gaming can make a better world. I think this can happen in schools.

This Is What A Gaming School Might Look Like...

More games are using real-life integration that are beneficial; the wii & wii fit for weight loss and health, and Guitar Hero with a real guitar so you can learn to play an instrument. If this is a trend, then we should integrate computer game mechanics into schools. Let's get rid of the grading system, let's get rid of homework, and let's change the way teachers interact with their students. And let's replace the system with a game. That game could be like your Pen & Paper RPG or something more complex. I don't have the full solution, but I'll give it a shot.

..And This is Why it Would Be a Fun Roleplaying Experience

1. Experience points for subjects rather than pass/fail: it's not about "passing" it's about learning. You accumulate the points for the answers you get right, and the amount of hard work you do. Over time this can add up to a level boost.
2. Accumulate levels in each subject so that you can move on to more challenging and interesting avenues of study. Learn at your pace.
3. Each subject is like your "attribute score," instead of strength, agility, magica, and endurance; it's math, physics, art, english etc. Your Math level would be the average level of your probability and algebra skills. And higher levels would be the average of your pre-calculus and trigonometry levels.
4. Are you Seven years old but have a level 3 geography attribute? Go ahead and join the level 3 class with the rest of the 9 year olds.



5. Arenas: Earn bonus experience from 1-on-1 or team challenges during lunch breaks, recess and after school classes. Need to boost your scores? Win a match against another student and gain experience points for each right answer plus a bonus! Lose the match? Still gain experience for every right answer.
6. Your "student level" is a reflection of your attributes. Have a level 10 history level, but a level 6 math level and your "student level" will reflect those two scores. It might encourage students to focus on areas that they need to work on, and let them know where their strengths are.
7. No student should feel "I'll never pass." Learning is now a matter of time and effort, not strict deadlines and exams that could hold you back.
8. You graduate at 18 years old like any other student but your "Student Level" can be as high as you push yourself. What if having a high level earned you lower college tuition?



9. You may need minimum attribute levels to gain a student level, but there shouldn't be any shame in having a low math score and a ridiculously high literature level.
10. It gets harder: like all leveling systems, getting from level 1 to level 2 is easy and is especially important for young kids who need to see that their work is paying off. But getting from level 20 to level 21 should be a royal pain in the ass, but with much greater rewards.
11. Learning should happen all the time. Online education tools should be available constantly. You could take an online test at any time for 15 minutes or for 2 hours, or to catch up on lessons from teachers. We can use technology to constantly update a student's character sheet based directly on their performance on these questions.

Final Thoughts

This isn't a full solution, it may even be ridiculous because of its flaws. But I know we have to rethink education in the 21st Century. We're still using the educational philosophy that was developed during the Age of The Enlightenment. We can't be using 19th Century ideas in the Age of The Internet.