In a rural high school in Oregon, USA, an unusual scene attracts the attention of those crossing the threshold of the literature classroom: There are 32 pockets on one wall, each for a Game Boyready for each student to take one before class begins.
What may seem like a hobby has become an innovative educational tool. led by a professor who believes video games can transform literary learning.
The story begins with a teacher who is passionate about both literature and video games. During his career, he observed that many students found reading books to be a monotonous task, which often led them to search for online summaries or even resort to artificial intelligence tools to complete their assignments.
Faced with this challenge, the teacher decided to look for an alternative that would arouse young people’s interest and encourage active participation in class.
Inspired by his love for consoles, the educator saw a potential in video games: several titles have a notable literary background, are inspired by mythologies or classic novels and They present complex narratives, imaginary places and memorable characters. This observation led him to propose a suggestion: replace some of the traditional material with video games chosen to explore literary themes, analyze storylines, and delve into character development.
The path to implementation was not easy. Convincing the school management, the parents’ council and the school district required commitment and perseverance. After months of work and patiently assembling 32 Game Boys into working condition over the summer, the project was given the green light to be rolled out into the classroom.
As the Reddit professor tells us, the course, titled “Video Games as Literature,” is offered to high school students. Each class begins with a clear instruction: “Grab your Game Boys!”
Students will have the opportunity to enjoy titles such as Pokémon Red and Blue to more modern proposals on other platforms such as Hades, The Stanley Parable, The Walking Dead (first season), Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption 2, Portal and Halo. which students can access via PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, which the teacher was also able to take into class.
The learning process is divided into two main phases. In the first part, students play in groups for several sessions, exploring the story, getting to know the characters, and deciphering the game mechanics. It’s a shared experience, where discussion and analysis of the narrative events and the decisions of the protagonists are encouraged in real time.
In the second phase, students are asked to record their experiences in writing. For a week, they devote themselves to creative writing exercises related to the game they are playing: they write stories, tell adventures, delve into fragments of the plot and explore the psychology of the characters. Finally, They culminate in a critical analysis of the game, mimicking the format of a traditional literature review but adapted to the new narrative support.
The effects of this methodology were not long in coming. Students who traditionally shied away from requiring reading became increasingly interested in literary analysis and creative writing. The interactive dimension of video games enabled the natural internalization of literary concepts. while the young people experienced the emotions and moral dilemmas typical of the stories played.
According to the professor himself, participation increased significantly. Young people, motivated by the playful dynamics, They took an active part in the debates and produced texts of greater quality and depth. This enthusiasm was also reflected in the family environment: initially skeptical parents realized the validity of the proposal as they observed their children’s academic progress and renewed interest in the subject.
This experience led the teacher to expand the repertoire of consoles available in the classroom. In addition to the Game Boy, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Nintendo Switch were also includedwhich made it possible to diversify the titles and adapt them to the preferences of each group.
The selection criteria for games remain strict: each title must be previously approved by the Director of Studies and the School Council to ensure that the content is appropriate and relevant to the pedagogical objectives of the course.
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