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Playing Games with Higher Education

Posted on March 26th, 2010

Professor Lee Sheldon’s students aren’t so fussed about As or Bs. For them, it’s all about the XP.

Instead of traditional grades, game design students earn experience points from their Indiana dungeonmaster. According to Professor Sheldon, “the elements of the class are couched in terms they understand, terms that are associated with fun rather than education.” We couldn’t have said it better.

The idea resonates with the Baxters who, neck deep in a hoppy North Pacific IPA, speculated about a future workplace with similar game bent. After all, what is a quantitative performance review if not an opportunity to level up?

We’re interested in discovering how Sheldon’s system accounts for qualitative measures (style points?), and it looks like we’ll have the opportunity to ask him directly: the innovative prof has invited the Baxters to sit in on a game design class. Look for our report in a mid-April post.

h/t Escapist Magazine

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