Firaxis is partnering with nonprofit educational and learning company GlassLab Inc to bring a love of history into the classroom. During the 13th Annual Games for Change Festival, Take-Two Interactive announced that Civilization V will be adapted into a learning tool for schools.
The modified Civ V will be called CivilizationEDU and will be distributed to high schools in North America next fall.
GlassLab Inc. plans to use learning analytics to assess its students’ problem-solving skills. The modified Civ V is intended to spark students’ critical thinking about historical events by putting them in a national leader’s shoes, forcing them to think long-term about the consequences of their economic and technological decisions.
“We are incredibly proud to lend one of our industry’s most beloved series to educators to use as a resource to inspire and engage students further,” said Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Strauss Zelnick in a press release. “Civilization has challenged millions of people around the world to revisit and experience history, pursue boldly exploration, and create their own societies based on their passions and freedom of choice. I can’t think of a better interactive experience to help challenge and shape the minds of tomorrow’s leaders.”
With Civ VI on its way and plenty of changes en route, sending Civ V out to high schools as CivilizationEDU sounds like putting a game out to pasture. Still, the game’s proven addictiveness and strategic depth would make it a valuable learning tool to anyone, and GlassLab’s analytics should help refine the student experience even further.
Do you wish you could have logged a few Civ V hours in the ol’ computer lab? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
