Finding 4 - Student Critique of the Game
“With something like a documentary, I feel like everything is pushed at me, and I can't really absorb all the information, and I don't feel like I'm actually there. With something like Fort McMoney, I can look around, watch screens, go to museums, and talk with homeless people. I think the reason it feels more authentic is because it forces you to interact and engage with the material, rather than just sitting back and letting the images wash over you.” (student survey response)
A key part of the post-survey gave the students a chance to voice their opinions of Fort McMoney:
As shown in Figures 13 and 14, overall the student response to Fort McMoney was quite positive. The students gave it an average of 4.1 out of 5 in terms of its effectiveness in educating about the oil sands (see Figure 13), and an average of 4.0 out of 5 in terms of whether or not they would recommend using the game in the course next year (see Figure 14). Many students noted that they liked the element of choice in the game, and how they felt in charge of their own learning. Various permutations of the following quotes were frequent in the post-survey:
"I liked the way that the choices fall to the player instead of some pre-written program. This really helps immerse the players and keep them interested.”
“[Fort McMoney] provided a lot more insight than a conventional textbook, and it was so much more interactive. The quality of the game was outstanding, and extremely effective as a simulation.”
Another common theme in the student critiques of the game was its lack of bias. Although most students pointed out that no resource was completely free of bias, they felt that Fort McMoney struck a pretty good balance. For example, one student stated:
“I really liked how you could interview people from both sides of the oil sands: those who supported them, and those who didn't. This gave me an overall perspective of the oil sands, which then allowed me to form my own opinion about them.”
Students, however, also pointed out a number of aspects that they did not like about Fort McMoney. A common critique was that the Dashboard interface was overly confusing and glitchy (for example, many students noted that the Dashboard did not accurately keep track of their achievements in the game, such as the number of places they had visited, the people they had interviewed, and the items they had collected). Many students also felt that the game was too long and dragged at times. A few students felt it was unnecessary to have footage that would be considered to be adult oriented content. Although this footage was brief, they felt that at a minimum an advisory should warn players about this.
"I liked the way that the choices fall to the player instead of some pre-written program. This really helps immerse the players and keep them interested.”
“[Fort McMoney] provided a lot more insight than a conventional textbook, and it was so much more interactive. The quality of the game was outstanding, and extremely effective as a simulation.”
Another common theme in the student critiques of the game was its lack of bias. Although most students pointed out that no resource was completely free of bias, they felt that Fort McMoney struck a pretty good balance. For example, one student stated:
“I really liked how you could interview people from both sides of the oil sands: those who supported them, and those who didn't. This gave me an overall perspective of the oil sands, which then allowed me to form my own opinion about them.”
Students, however, also pointed out a number of aspects that they did not like about Fort McMoney. A common critique was that the Dashboard interface was overly confusing and glitchy (for example, many students noted that the Dashboard did not accurately keep track of their achievements in the game, such as the number of places they had visited, the people they had interviewed, and the items they had collected). Many students also felt that the game was too long and dragged at times. A few students felt it was unnecessary to have footage that would be considered to be adult oriented content. Although this footage was brief, they felt that at a minimum an advisory should warn players about this.