Civilization IV in upper secondary school: between enthusiasm and alienation

Abstract

Abstract: The study examines a 3-week teaching unit with Civilization IV in the Norwegian upper secondary school. I look at the way in which students’ previous experience with and relationship to games and game culture affects their engagement, with particular attention to gender aspects. The study is guided by theories that highlight the relationship between genre, identity and learning. The findings show that a group of students, mostly boys, became highly engaged in the playing and learning activities, strongly identified with the school’s and the teacher’s educational agenda, and were able to utilize their experience in the game to reflect on subject issues. In contrast, a group of girls exaggerated their relative lack of game play success, marking their alienation from gamer- and genre culture. The findings also indicate that more general cultural patterns of technology and gender may play into the students’ responses. Whereas the girls who felt alienated reported a positive attitude towards the concept of game-bases learning, they were missing the familiar formats and requirements of school work.