It’s not every day that you hear about a video game used in high schools as a teaching aid. When I was going through high school the only gaming you got a glimpse of was a portable handheld being hidden away from the teacher’s eyesight. Regardless of my experience, a Norwegian high school teacher found that by using The Walking Dead video game, ethic discussions are brought up allowing students to think of scenarios and problem solving that they may have normally never thought of.
High school is the stepping stone of bringing kids into the real world. Before they head off to college this is their crash course of what to expect when they go out on their own. Tools of what students need will come in forms of group projects, teachings from a textbook or a lecture. But if we’re honest with ourselves, reading from a textbook or sitting down for an hours worth of time just listening to a lecture can be boring. To liven the class a bit up Staaby, a Norwegian teacher brought in The Walking Dead.
The video game may be filled with zombie killing but a large portion of the game revolves around tough morally decisions. Ethics are then brought to play as students discuss the different scenarios, vote on what option they wish to continue with and discuss their reasoning. For a total of two weeks, the class will engage in the dilemma that The Walking Dead brings out throughout the campaign. NRK.no aired a piece about the class in which can now be viewed down below.
