“Here’s the deal: Adults are not doing enough to protect our planet. In fact, some of our worst problems are being caused by people! It’s time for kids like us to step in!” And with a wave of his arm, Dash, the animated action hero of Adventure Ecology, invites gamers to join him and his raven-haired sidekick Bay as they battle adversaries like Agent Waste, Professor Ignorance, and Miss Lies in their quest to halt pollution and defeat the ultimate enemy: the mighty, sharp-clawed Global Warming.

SUPERHEROES: Bay and Dash take gamers on virtual missions to defeat eco-threats and halt pollution (Illustrations courtesy of Adventure Ecology)

Developed to teach Australian and U.K. students about environmental issues, Adventure Ecology is one example of a growing field of “serious” video games that raise awareness about issues like poverty and international strife, and help players assess strategies for solving them. “Video games are a mainstream form of media—they’re not just for teenage boys in basements anymore,” says Benjamin Stokes, cofounder of Games for Change, a nonprofit group that provides support to developers of serious games. “For the environmental movement, it makes perfect sense to use a video game as an educational tool.”

Playing vids might even be the best way to learn about this sprawling thing we call “the environment”—a highly complex and interdependent system in which every life-form, air molecule, and pebble plays a part. “It’s tough to teach interdependencies using linear media like books,” Stokes says. “But games, by their nature, are interactive systems. Our choices have consequences, like they do in real life.”

FORCES OF EVIL: The dreaded Global Warming (1) is aided by a gang of supporting foes (2) (left, from left to right): Professor Ignorance, Mr. Lazy, Chairman Greed, General Fear, and Agent Waste.

Which leads to Adventure Ecology, where students ages nine and up embark on virtual missions instead of listening to rote lesson plans. Before starting the game, each player takes a test that assesses her learning style; the game is then tailored to her strengths (visual learners encounter more graphics, while wordsmiths get scrolling text). Activities may include preventing deforestation, scoping out alternative fuel strategies, or convincing a clothing company to sell eco-friendly duds. As they play, gamers take quizzes to demonstrate their grasp of important concepts, accumulating points that let them take on new missions with bigger challenges.

Posted on Sep 18, 2006 at 7:31 AM
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