MIT’s Technology Review reports that the number of Computer Science students is dropping and academics are looking to gaming software to lure them back.
I was very suprised when the article continues to mention projects such as Alice (just when I think I know it all – Wonderland comes back to bite me in the ass). I suppose it’s not exactly a game, but it’s a program that teaches computer programing in a very fun way. Now…I’m no computer programer, infact I’m way too technologically dyslexic to even have a blog, so I’m not sure I understand what they’re on about. It seems like fun however, and maybe I’ll have a crack at it myself, and come one step closer to attaining my nerd license.

Note: I’m at work right now and I’m soooo freakin’ bored…so excuse the excess use of words and not in the least opinions…I’ll come back and delete and edit a bit later, make it more pleasing to read this pile of crap.

So, depending on your definition of game (for is not a game fun while learning patterns and puzzles a.s.o), this isn’t one…but it has inspired others to start using games to teach programming. Ofcourse, Microsoft has a splendid financial initiativ; “rewrite computer science around something everyone knows students like: computer games.” Microsoft’s given $480,000 to universities encouraging using computer gaming software to learn programming techniques.

Among a few mentioned is the Games-to-Teach Project, MITs own project since 2001 which has also developed ‘Replicate’, ‘Biohazard’ and ‘Revolution’.

I think this is a super dooper initiativ and I’m hoping to see more of it!!!!