“21st Century Skills in StarCraft” is the College Class You’ve Dreamed Of

People don’t listen when you tell them video games translate to real-world skills, but thankfully, University of Florida Ph.D candidate Nate Poling doesn’t care. He’s teaching “21st Century Skills in StarCraft”  at the school’s honors college. From the course description:

With society becoming increasingly technology-based and fast-paced, it is important for professionals to be highly proficient in skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, resource management, and adaptive decision making. These skills are fundamental in Starcraft and therefore make the game a highly effective environment for students to analyze and take action in complex situations.

The course consists of weekly play sessions, post-game analysis and written assignments. It’s taught remotely, so students need their own computer with an Internet connection and “at least basic knowledge of and experience playing Starcraft.”

Starcraft is all about managing many groups with different skills, Poling told Technology Review. Those skills, he said, could be easily transferred to a hospital administrator or to someone in the business world. He acknowledges that Starcraft is no replacement for other education, but said many of the problem-solving skills he applies to real life came from the game. What I wouldn’t give to see “Zerg rush” become business jargon. [Technology Review via Switched]