Tomando crédito por la historia: por qué la Universidad de Arizona quiere que los estudiantes jueguen en edad de imperios IV durante la clase

Resumen

• Current and future University of Arizona and Arizona Online students can earn credit toward their college degrees by playing Age of Empires IV.
• We talked with those involved in the creation of this unique opportunity for Universe of Arizona students.
• Age of Empires IV is available to play today with PC Game Pass and for purchase on the Windows Store and Steam.

• Resumen
• Age of Empires IV

Earning college credit for playing video games sounds like the stuff dreams are made of. Luckily for students attending the Universe of Arizona, this dream is turning into a reality thanks to a unique partnership between the university and Age of Empires IV.

Starting this semester, current and future University of Arizona and Arizona Online students can earn credit toward their college degrees when they interact with special educational content while playing Age of Empires IV.

To learn more about this partnership, we had a chance to talk with Associate Professor of Medieval History Paul Milliman, Executive Director of Corporate Initiatives and Business Development Kara Aquilano Forney, Associate Professor of Roman History and Department Head Alison Futrell, and Franchise Narrative Director for Age of Empires at World’s Edge Studio (Xbox) Noble Smith about this unique opportunity for Universe of Arizona students, what inspired them to create this program, and how Age of Empires IV can help affirm the accurate portrayal of history.

What inspired you to create this program at the University of Arizona?

Paul Milliman – When Kara asked me whether I would like to help create this program, I was teaching the History Department’s senior capstone course. One of the best students in the class was someone I had never worked with before, so I asked him how he had learned so much about medieval history. He said he was inspired to learn more about medieval history by playing games like Age of Empires II.

In recent years, so many of the best students I’ve worked with are gamers. They are researching historical events while they are playing these historical events in games, so I wanted to meet these gamer-historians where they are meeting history and show them some of the wonderful places they can go online to do their own historical research. As Age of Empires IV says, I wanted to teach them how to make history their story.

Alison Futrell – I was very excited when Kara approached us about this opportunity. My teaching and research for years has turned to how the past has been interpreted in film and television; students have also been alerting me to intriguing innovations in video games. One of them focused on a couple of examples for his final project and I was captivated by the narrative twists and layers of meaning that he explored. These were very distinctive, very creative approaches to the past! I’m enthusiastic about bringing in additional historical resources to enrich this kind of exploration.

Can you share some history (no pun intended) on how this partnership between Microsoft/Xbox, Age of Empires IV, and the University of Arizona came about?

Kara Aquilano Forney – The idea for the partnership came about more than two years ago when I connected with Will McCahill, business lead at Microsoft’s World’s Edge game studio. Will reached out to brainstorm about expanding the learning opportunities in Age of Empires IV and we talked about providing players a place to go once they finished their AoE experience. We had many “What if?” conversations — What if we enhanced the user experience with added learning content? What if we extended that learning beyond the game, what does that look like? The UArizona powerhouse history department quickly jumped on board, and the rest (pun intended) is History.

Were there other examples (games for college credit, etc.) you drew from to create this program at your university?

Paul Milliman – I am not aware of anything like this anywhere else. I teach history with games. I teach courses about historical games. I even have students create games in my courses as a more engaging way of presenting their historical research. I think this playful way of approaching historical research was very useful for this project.

Alison Futrell – I teach spectacle and performance (and film) and encourage students to move away from their desks, bring their other skills into the expanded classroom. This builds on those habits, certainly. A colleague across campus built a course around creating history tabletop games, focusing on how ancient economic decisions shape other experiences and choices, which I thought was very exciting.

What was it about Age of Empires IV specifically that drew you to the idea of creating college credit for playing through the game’s campaign?

Paul Milliman - Estaba intrigado por el guión, especialmente los videos "Manos de la historia". Mi estilo de enseñanza es muy práctico. Soy guía de tu lado, no un sabio en un escenario. Estoy diseñando un curso especial solo para los jugadores-historiadores que desean continuar aprendiendo construyendo sobre sus experiencias en el juego. Van a aprender más sobre las campañas que lucharon haciendo su propia investigación histórica y creando sus propios videos "manos en la historia".

Alison Futrel L - Los documentales cortos junto con el juego enriquecido del juego fueron fantásticos! ¡Arqueología de Yay! Como ex arqueólogo, realmente aprecié la profundidad y la tangibilidad esas presentaciones presentadas a la calidad dinámica de "Usted está" de AoE IV. Muchas maneras de entender lo que está pasando! Con el curso especial, estamos agregando diferentes tipos de desafíos para mejorar lo que los jugadores ya han experimentado.

_ ¿Hay alguna campaña o niveles que esté emocionado de que los estudiantes experimenten como parte de este programa en su universidad? _

Paul Milliman - Creo que las cuatro campañas son geniales. Me hacen pensar en qué campañas podrías presentar para las otras civiles en el juego. Además, me gustó mucho el video promocional que salió el pasado abril en el que los elefantes indios estaban rampando por las calles de Londres medievales y las basuras chinas estaban navegando por el Támesis. En la Edad Media, Europa no era el centro del mundo, por lo que la colocación posterior del colonialismo en su contexto histórico adecuado a través de la historia contrafactual, como esta, es una forma realmente atractiva para que los estudiantes estén pensando en las relaciones históricas de Europa con el mundo más grande.

Alison Futrell - Creo que las cuatro campañas abordan importantes puntos de torneado en un contexto realmente amplio, lo cual es genial. Como se señaló Pablo, la creatividad en la promoción, la colisión de las culturas mundiales, fue muy entretenida, pero también nos impidió pensar en términos generales y comparativamente, y considerar qué herramientas pueden agregar sustancia a este tipo de especulación.

Noble Smith : estamos encantados de que los estudiantes de la Universidad de Arizona podrán sumergirse en la rica historia de las campañas de age de los imperios IV. Los diversos personajes históricos como la heroína francesa Jeanne D'Arc y el mongol Emperor Genghis son llevados a la vida a través de personajes 3D bellamente modelados que hablan en sus respectivos idiomas nativos. Debido a que este es un juego de estrategia en tiempo real, el jugador está en control de todas sus unidades, desde los héroes mencionados anteriormente (con sus habilidades especiales únicas) hasta el hombre de armas básicas. Las batallas de llaves, que se ven desde una vista aérea de 3/4, se experimentan de una manera visceral y emocionante que los hace sentir tan relevantes que el día en que fueron luchados hace siglos.

_ ¿Sientes que este curso ayuda a afirmar la representación precisa de la historia, celebrando el alto período medieval a la edad del Renacimiento tardío, esa edad de los imperios IV se esfuerza por lograr? _

Paul Milliman - Creo que sí. Cuando escribí las historias iluminadas y la evaluación, realmente traté de atar todo al juego. Quiero tomar la emoción que las personas han jugado el juego y el canal de la emoción de realizar investigaciones históricas sobre temas que los excitan. Quiero que experimenten la emoción del descubrimiento, lo que puede ser tan emocionante como una victoria de campaña.

Alison Futrell - ¡Absolutamente! La autenticidad y la exploración rica / profunda son lo que estamos después. La historia es complicada, con muchas capas de experiencia para sondear. El curso que hemos diseñado ofrece una gama de vías para comenzar a hacerlo solo.

Noble Smith - Comenzando con la batalla de Hastings en 1066 y terminando con el asedio de Kazan en 1552, las cuatro campañas en AoE IV más definitivamente abarcan la era de barrido del alto período medieval hasta el renacimiento tardío. La evolución de la armadura, las armas, la arquitectura, el lenguaje y la música que lo acompaña, todos fueron investigados y guiados a fondo por expertos en materias de todo el mundo.

Entonces, por ejemplo, en el Gran Arco de las cuatro campañas, el jugador llega a los testigos de las unidades militares que avanzan desde la armadura de correo y las espadas (la campaña normativa) a sofisticadas armaduras de placa y armas de pólvora (cien años de campaña de guerra). Incluso los idiomas hablados por las unidades en AOE IV evolucionan de sus altas versiones medievales a las formas de renacimiento tardío.

_ ¿Qué programas futuros en su universidad, u otros, le gustaría ver para ayudar a reconocer los juegos como fuente de educación (cuando corresponda)? _

Paul Milliman - Esto ya está sucediendo en la profesión de la historia. Hay muchas publicaciones y conferencias sobre este tema y muchas personas que enseñan con juegos. Además, el año pasado, la revisión histórica americana, la revista de historia académica líder en los EE. UU., Comenzó a revisar los juegos históricos de computadora como un reconocimiento de la importancia de los juegos importantes para informar las opiniones de la historia de las personas.

Alison Futrell – This is a hot topic in History right now, with many people working on different pedagogical approaches that engage a range of student experiences and skill-building and, importantly, creativity. Games as a topic and as an inspiration are having an impact and are popping up in scholarly conferences as well.

Do you hope this experience will give your students a greater appreciation of cultures other than their own? What else do you hope they take away from this experience?

Paul Milliman – I do. As a historian of the global Middle Ages rather than just medieval Europe, I appreciate that half of the campaigns are not in western Europe. I hope this experience inspires these gamer-historians to learn more about the medieval world by visiting (virtually or in person) both the museums and libraries that contain the primary sources with which medieval history is written and the places which are depicted in the game. I also hope people will try their own “Hands on History.” Because of Age of Empires IV, I’ve broadened by own experiential learning. I started learning archery a few months ago, and soon I will take lessons on falconry and historical fencing. So, Age of Empires IV can inspire people of all ages and historical skill levels!

Alison Futrell – Of course! History offers people the chance to appreciate new outlooks through exploring the old, as it were, to see the human experience through the eyes of those who’ve gone before, to gain new insights, to broaden their understanding. I always hope that students will have the chance to dive a bit deeper into something that speaks specifically to them. I think that’s a particular strength in the way this class is structured.

Noble Smith – We hope that students who play AoE IV will develop a profound love of history. Maybe they will be inspired to tour a famous site represented in one of the missions (like the Hastings Battlefield in the United Kingdom) or visit the Guédelon castle project in France (shown in one of the game’s accompanying “Hands on History” films — Building a Castle) or perhaps study a new language. Maybe we’ll motivate someone to write a book about the Mongolian Yam messenger system or learn how to craft plate armor using traditional tools. We might even get some people who want to join our Age of Empires team… and keep on making history come to life for years to come!

Thanks to Paul, Kara, Alison, and Noble for taking the time today to share with us this amazing opportunity for University of Arizona students. You can learn more about this program here on AgeofEmpires.com. Age of Empires IV is available to play today with PC Game Pass and for purchase on Windows Store and Steam. Keep it tuned here to Xbox Wire for all the latest Paul Milliman about your favorite Xbox and Windows PC games.

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One of the most beloved real-time strategy games returns to glory with Age of Empires IV, putting you at the center of epic historical battles that shaped the world. Featuring both familiar and innovative new ways to expand your empire in vast landscapes with stunning 4K visual fidelity, Age of Empires IV brings an evolved real-time strategy game to a new generation. Return to History – The past is prologue as you are immersed in a rich historical setting of 8 diverse civilizations across the world from the English to the Chinese to the Delhi Sultanate in your quest for victory. Build cities, manage resources, and lead your troops to battle on land and at sea in 4 distinct campaigns with 35 missions that span across 500 years of history from the Dark Ages up to the Renaissance. Choose Your Path to Greatness with Historical Figures – Live the adventures of Joan of Arc in her quest to defeat the English, or command mighty Mongol troops as Genghis Khan in his conquest across Asia. The choice is yours – and every decision you make will determine the outcome of history. Customize Your Game with Mods – Available in Early 2022, play how you want with user generated content tools for custom games. Challenge the World- Jump online to compete, cooperate or spectate with up to 7 of your friends in PVP and PVE multiplayer modes. An Age for All Players – Age of Empires IV is an inviting experience for new players with a tutorial system that teaches the essence of real-time strategy and a Campaign Story Mode designed for first time players to help achieve easy setup and success, yet is challenging enough for veteran players with new game mechanics, evolved strategies, and combat techniques.