Abstract
USING THE ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA TO INFORM STUDENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE Deanna S. Forney and Tony W. Cawthon, Editors 128 pp. Jossey-Bass (2004), $27.00
THE SIMS 2 UNIVERSITY EXPANSION PACK Electronic Arts (2005), $29.99
HARNESSING STUDENT INTEREST IN ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA CAN ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING IN AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
According to the authors, the centerpiece of media use to enhance learning should be a clear set of instructional goals, as in any pedagogical approach. Instructors should carefully set the stage for media use, monitor student progress, obtain frequent feedback from the students, and debrief the class once the experience has ended. The point of any learning experience is to get students actively engaged and thinking, and media-enriched learning is no exception. The authors describe several instances of successful media use but also acknowledge that media-enhanced instruction may not be appropriate for every teacher in every situation.
Examples of media use are drawn from undergraduate and graduate classrooms, orientation for students and staff, staff retreats and training sessions, workshops, and individual counseling and advising sessions. Some examples of note are use of the movie Apollo 13 to help students learn about leadership and team-based problem solving, and use of an episode from the television show M*A*S*H, in which a new colonel is introduced and the other characters deal with change. In another notable example, Deborah Taub and Deanna Forney describe the use of songs by the Beatles and Marvin Gaye to promote the learning of counseling skills.
Overall, the authors’ message is that educators can use media to enhance learning, and they argue that entertainment media can quickly and effectively ener-gize and engage students, spark interest, and illustrate complex principles such as multiculturalism or formation of sexual identity.
NEGLECTING AN ASPECT OF LIFE CAN HAVE ILL EFFECTS ON EACH SIM, AND COLLEGE STUDENTS CAN LEARN ABOUT THESE CONSEQUENCES THROUGH GAME PLAY.
The Sims 2 University Expansion Pack (Redwood City, CA: Electronic Arts, 2005) begins with parents leaving their teenage Sim at college. The Sims can choose from three preexisting institutions, or they can choose one that has been created to match the interests of the user. Like a physical campus, the simulated campuses have libraries, fitness centers, shopping centers, student unions, parks, cafeterias, classrooms, residence halls, fraternities and sororities, and coffeehouses. The campuses are populated with traditional-age students, staff, and faculty, with whom the Sims interact. The Sims attend class every weekday, unless the gamer chooses not to send the Sim to class. Poor attendance and lack of attention to schoolwork can, however, result in academic probation and expulsion from the university. The Sims have needs, aspirations, and fears that must be considered in crafting a successful college career. For example, in the needs category, the Sims have meters that monitor hunger, comfort, bladder, social and environmental conditions, energy, fun, and hygiene. To satisfy these needs, Sims must participate in a range of activities. A typical Sim day could involve waking up and attending class, which might be followed by an afternoon nap and a game of pool at the student union. The Sim must accomplish these and other tasks without forgetting to eat, shower, and occasionally visit the bathroom.
Although diversity issues are not explicitly addressed in the Sims 2 University, characters do come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Because the user can create their Sim with a variety of characteristics, the potential for diversity is almost limitless. There is even a network on the Sims 2 Web site that avid game players use to share self-created Sims. Real-world relationships can be formed through game play as virtual relationships are formed in the game.
Each Sim's unique personality affects all of its interactions. Some Sims tend to be more introverted than others; some are serious, and some are playful; some crave monetary success, while others seek love. Neglecting an aspect of life can have ill effects on each Sim, and college students can learn about these consequences through game play. Overall, this university simulation captures nearly every detail of a traditional-age student's campus life from arrival to graduation, including the optional graduation party. Readers can find more information about this simulation at http://theSims2.ea.com.
The simulation allows students to create a low-risk environment for experimenting with various behaviors, some of which might be out of character for the player. For example, students can see what happens if their Sim stops attending class or attends too many parties. They can try new academic majors, live in different settings, budget their time, or organize their day in different ways. In Chapter Three of Using the Entertainment Media to Inform Student Affairs Practice, Mary Howard-Hamilton and Kan-dace Hinton reinforce this point:“Using entertainment media allows individuals to step inside the shoes of another person or immerse themselves in another culture in a safe fashion, without the high risk of failing” (p. 34). Although playing the Sims 2 University can be a fun and rewarding activity with intrinsic learning value when students access it on their own, educators can also use it to promote desired learning outcomes.
In Chapter Eight of Using the Entertainment Media, John Dagley and Pamela Paisley suggest using entertainment media in workshops on career selection and decision-making skills. Student affairs educators and resident assistants could also use the Sims 2 University as a residence hall activity. One approach that Dagley and Paisley use is a competitive movie trivia contest. Similarly, roommates can be paired in order to compete against other roommates in a Sims game-playing contest. Prizes could be awarded to the team whose Sim is most successful after college, and debriefing activities could include a discussion of the steps necessary to build a rewarding life after graduation.
The Sims 2 University could also be used as an activity in a first-year seminar or other course. According to Dunn and Forney, using media-based assignments can expand classroom learning by encouraging students to apply the skills and techniques learned in class to their life outside of class. Instructors could achieve a variety of learning outcomes by devoting class time to a simulation. At the end of such an activity, students could discuss and vote on the Sim's next course of action, which could be planned to correspond with the lessons of the day. The classroom Sim's development might then be traced throughout the semester. As Using the Entertainment Media author Tony Cawthon notes, student and instructor preparation for an activity involving any type of entertainment medium is important. The instructor must be familiar with the game and students must be familiar with the principles of the course in order for such an activity to be effective. For example, a discussion of career decision-making processes could be followed by Sims 2 game play involving choice of an academic major and exploration of potential career fields related to that major. Instructors could also choose to implement a take-home version of this assignment that would allow students to play the game on their own and report back to the class. Students could keep a journal to document their game play and reflect on the decisions they made for their Sim in comparison with those they've made during their own collegiate experience. This activity could culminate in a final paper, allowing students to describe the Sim's decision-making process and the consequences of the decisions.
These activities encourage experimentation and reflective observation, approaches that Deanna Forney, Tony Cawthon, and their coauthors highlight in Using the Entertainment Media to Inform Student Affairs Practice. Using media in creative and purposeful ways can heighten engagement, enhance learning, and harness the energy and enthusiasm of today's media-focused college student population.