The MMORPG College Classroom

Posted by Naomi Rockler-Gladen Jan 17, 2007

Many college students would rather play MMORPGs than come to class. (MMORPG stands for "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game," but don't worry. I won't ask that on the test.) Of course, professors and other unhip adults bemoan this, using words like "addiction" and even "Satanic," and blame poor class attendance on games like World of Warcraft. Funny thing is, we've heard this before. When I was in college, professors bemoaned the lower-tech MUD (Multi User Domain, which is basically a stone-age version of a MMORPG). Before that, there was the big Dungeons and Dragons scare of the 1970s.

Not that these games aren't potentially addictive (although what isn't?) Sad, though, that science fiction related pastimes are berated for being addictive, while more socially acceptable "addictions" like sports are seen as normal.

But hey, why fight the MMORPG craze? In the spirit of the online classroom and distance learning, why don't we just hold our classes on World of Warcraft?

There's no reason this couldn't be done. The professor and the students would create characters and log on. The characters could interact much like students and teachers do in a normal classroom with the help of headsets. It would be like an online class, but better, because there would be "face to face" interaction, albeit virtual. Nobody would have to leave their rooms, and when class is over, everyone can go play WoW.

Or hey, if World of Warcraft isn't your thing, why not hold a SIM classroom?

Am I being facetious? Mostly. But technology savvy Generation Y college students respond to unconventional teaching methods that incorporate technology. Who knows? A virtual online MMORPG university may be coming sooner than we think.

If you'd like to read some of my other goofy musings about education and technology, read these:

Education and technology in the year 2056

The future of college student blog wars: DoILikeYou?.com