Magic In the Classroom

by News | posted at 2010-07-27 21:03:00
tagged: MTG, Magic, Magic the Gathering, Classroom, U of C, Class, Berkeley

Magic: The Gathering in the classroom? While plenty of academic institutions have gaming clubs that may be Magic-focused, it's rare to come across an actual COURSE about the game. And yet, the forward-thinking University of California, Berkeley offered just such a class for the Spring 2010 semester. Check out the description of the course:

"In this course we are going to focus on building decks around certain fantasy themes and the imbedded power struggles therein. We will explore a different broad theme each week and every student will be asked to make a deck within the restraints of that theme. The student is encouraged to consider themselves as a wizard with certain characteristics when building a particular deck. For example, if the student was building a deck as a necromancer it would make little sense for them to include healing spells in their deck — they would instead want to focus on how to make an effective deck with the living dead and cards that evoke disease. We will still cover the mechanics and strategies of the game but within the context of thematic deck construction. We will discuss balance and imbalance within the game and questions such as whether it is possible to make a beast-master summoner as powerful as a fireball wielding pyromancer or a mind control wizard. Theme decks are required to be playable and students will be asked to describe how their deck functions. Game play is encouraged but not required. The goal of this approach is to explore Magic: The GatheringTM as a strategy game while expanding on its role-playing and fantasy aspects. We hope to also discuss why people play Magic, what their intentions are and where they derive enjoyment. Imaginative creativity and analytical tactics will be delicately balanced. This approach will hopefully be appealing to those that usually play competitively and especially accessible for those who have never played before."

Probably not a classroom for Spikes, but an interesting concept nonetheless. Along the way course announcements even made mention of in-class drafts, with a final presentation making up a significant portion of the grade (in addition to pieces about decks you had created). Of course, the academic load wasn't TOO intense as the class was pass/fail.

Read the full curriculum outline from Berkeley here.

Fans of Magic who are looking for a more intense experience with gaming in the classroom could consider attending the University of Washington. The game's creator, Richard Garfield, occasionally teaches game theory classes there.

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