Many students have read that the University of Idaho will offer an eight-week “Pop Culture Games” course this fall featuring the app “Pokemon Go.”
But the people involved in the formation of the course know there is much more to the class than an online craze.
“My hope is that from this class you get more than, ‘I’m going to walk around for 15 minutes collecting Pokeballs,’” said Course Instructor Steven Bird.
Bird said he wants to make it clear that the course is a good use of students’ time, as he has heard some criticism about it.
Although the course is non-traditional, he said that it still teaches students valuable life skills. In the first four weeks, when students are playing Pokemon Go, they will have the opportunity to make new friends, to explore campus and to be competitive, he said. The last four weeks will also challenge their imaginations, as students are playing out a storyline, he said.
“There’s a lot of like, team-building, of organization and leadership, of going outside,” Bird said.
Bird previously taught an Intro to Psychology course at his undergraduate school for three-and-a-half years, and wanted to teach a physical activities course at UI. He said he is glad to have the opportunity to teach this course.
Originally, the class was only scheduled to include Humans vs. Zombies, he said. However, when Pokemon Go came out he said that he and others in the Department of Movement Sciences saw the opportunity to add the popular new game to the course.
“I see a lot of people in Moscow playing it,” he said.
Each portion of the course will last four weeks, beginning with Pokemon Go. Students will meet every Tuesday to explore Moscow and the surrounding areas in small competing groups. Bird said he will also encourage students to play the game with one another outside of class, as well as share their favorite places to go in the area.
Bird said Humans vs. Zombies has been around for a few years now. However, he said participation in the club games has gradually gone down in recent years. Many of those who continue to play have been playing a while, causing the games to become somewhat monotonous. He said he hopes the course will inspire more students to not only join the club, but also to bring their fresh perspectives to it and make it more interesting.
“With this class, you have a brand new kind of eye, as well as fresh excitement,” he said.
Nina Rydalch
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