ClassInfo - Fall 2016 History Classes Taught by Matthew King

Fall 2016 | HIST 3960 Section 002: Topics in History -- Video Game and History (33688)

Instructor(s): Matthew King
Class Component:: Lecture
Credits:: 3 Credits
Repeat Credit Limit:: 4 Credits
Grading Basis:: Student Option
Instructor Consent:: No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:: In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:: Topics Course
Times and Locations:: Regular Academic Session

09/06/2016 - 12/14/2016

Mon, Wed 02:30PM - 03:45PM

UMTC, West Bank

Blegen Hall 110

Course Catalog Description:: Selected history topics not covered in regular courses.
Class Notes:: Video Games and History http://classinfo.umn.edu/?kingx957+HIST3960+Fall2016
Class Description:: It is the aim of this course to introduce you to the study of the medieval world (defined for sake of this course as roughly 500-1500) by "experiencing" various interpretations of history by playing video games and analyzing these experiences in different ways: on their own, in relation to secondary narratives, and in comparison with primary sources created near the times and places in which the games are set. This strategy will lead you not only to better understand the historical narratives these games address, but also to be more mindful of the way in which game developers shape how you relate to the past, even while you are not playing their games. It is a core belief of this course that video games - just like other works that might be used in college-level history courses such as documentaries, fictional movies, novels, etc. - can and should be interpreted as ways of informing our perception of history. Although a central goal of this course will be to critique and examine the ways in which different games choose to depict the past and condition us to understand history, we will not question the entertainment value of a given game. In other words, this course does not aim to merely identify historical inaccuracies in video games. Instead, this course aims to guide you in developing methods to thinking about all visions of the past that are critical and mindful of contemporary concerns in the discipline of history.
Grading:: 30% - Attendance and Participation
15% - Civilopedia and Wikipedia Article Critique
15% - Map of the World and Analysis
10% - Presentation
30% - Final Paper
Class Format:: This course is centered around six units that span two weeks apiece. Each of these units considers a theme and a corresponding set of narratives that loom large in the study of the medieval world. In each unit, we will first discuss how the game under consideration generates a particular image of that theme in its historical setting. After that, we will read a short interpretation of the theme written by a modern historian. Then, we will examine these (often conflicting) perspectives through the lens of primary source materials. On the final day of every unit, there will be a student group activity that introduces and integrates additional primary sources into the discussions we have had throughout the unit and the class as a whole. This schedule is designed to help us understand how our experiences playing video games influence what sorts of preconceived notions we carry when we try to interpret the past.
Textbooks:: https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/33688/1169
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:: 29 April 2016

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2016 History Classes Taught by Matthew King

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