Valve offers teachers free Portal 2 for classroom use - Polidicks

[quote]Teachers can claim a complimentary PC copy of acclaimed puzzle adventure Portal 2 for use in the classroom, Valve has announced. As reported by Kotaku, it's part of the developer's Steam for Schools initiative - a specially designed version of its platform that strips away any functionality that isn't core to the education experience. The program is in beta and currently only offers Portal 2 and its puzzle-maker expansion. Interested educators will need to sign up for the beta to receive the game. Note, students will only be able to share their level creations within the classroom. "What's the educational value of Portal?" you may ask. Well, here's what Valve has to say on its Teach with Portals site: "The Portal franchise was developed as an entertainment product, but the games have the potential to be used as experiential learning tools," it explained. "In the Portal world, students interact with physically simulated objects (cubes, catapults, lasers, etc.). The interaction tends to be free-form and experimental and as students encounter new tools and challenges they may develop an intuitive understanding of physical principles such as mass and weight, acceleration, momentum, gravity, and energy. "The games also put a premium on critical thinking, spatial reasoning, problem solving, iteration and collaboration skills, and encourage overall inquiry into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) learning." It's posted suggested lesson plan ideas on its site.[/quote] [url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-20-valve-offers-teachers-free-portal-2-for-classroom-use]Source[/url] Seems like a good idea

This is fucking awesome :v:

Just everyone's bros and brahs at Valve being bros and brahs. And +1 to GabeN's massive heart.

Took a look at the website and I saw that chemistry lesson plans were planned. Chemistry? In Portal?

Valve, have all of my monies! ALL OF.. Wait, I already gave you my money.. Shit, well, have my eternal gratitude for not being money hungry whores. WE LOVE YOU VALVE. [B]This message brought to you by the VDF, protecting Valve and Valve interests everywhere. Even in your pants.[/B]

[QUOTE=Worldwaker;36422442]Valve, have all of my monies! ALL OF.. Wait, I already gave you my money.. Shit, well, have my eternal gratitude for not being money hungry whores. WE LOVE YOU VALVE. [B]This message brought to you by the VDF, protecting Valve and Valve interests everywhere. Even in your pants.[/B][/QUOTE] sorry what

[QUOTE=VistaPOWA;36422290]Took a look at the website and I saw that chemistry lesson plans were planned. Chemistry? In Portal?[/QUOTE] they are going to teach children how to make the gels.

It's a shame that not many teachers will take up this deal, VIDEO GAMES != EDUCATION in the average person's mind.

Schools should stay a corporate-free environment.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422495]Schools should stay a corporate-free environment.[/QUOTE] By your logic, no proprietary software or hardware should be used in schools. It's the same kind of deal that Microsoft and Dell offers to schools. Both give discounts on their products, so does Valve, but in this case, they are offering 2 educational games for free.

[QUOTE=VistaPOWA;36422509]By your logic, no proprietary software or hardware should be used in schools.[/QUOTE] The difference is that Valve is an entertainment company. They sell content, not its container (hardware and operating systems). [QUOTE=VistaPOWA;36422509]Both give discounts on their products, so does Valve, but in this case, they are offering 2 educational games for free.[/QUOTE] I [I]highly[/I] doubt Portal and Portal 2 were designed with "educational" value in mind.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422495]Schools should stay a corporate-free environment.[/QUOTE] Windows? Microsoft Office? Novell Client? MSDNAA? AutoCAD? MatLAB? :v:

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422544]The difference is that Valve is an entertainment company. They sell content, not its container (hardware and operating systems). I [I]highly[/I] doubt Portal and Portal 2 were designed with "educational" value in mind.[/QUOTE] It doesn't matter what it was designed for. If Valve can make it work (hint: they can) then I'm all for it.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422495]Schools should stay a corporate-free environment.[/QUOTE] Yeah, tell that to Czech Republic, where 90% of schools are firmly entrenched by Microsoft who paid their IT classrooms and was guaranteed that it's products will be educated almost exclusively. My graduation exam was doing some shit in MS Word. We learned horrible Access instead of something meaningful in the SQL area and learned C# instead of Java, even thought both students and teachers admitted the later would be preferrable in both cases. Valve gives the schools free opportunity to use their game, no strings attached.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422544]The difference is that Valve is an entertainment company. They sell content, not its container (hardware and operating systems). I [I]highly[/I] doubt Portal and Portal 2 were designed with "educational" value in mind.[/QUOTE]Who cares about the original intention, it has been refined for educational use.

[QUOTE=Matt-;36422486]It's a shame that not many teachers will take up this deal, VIDEO GAMES != EDUCATION in the average person's mind.[/QUOTE] I'll be honest, I don't really see the educational value of Portal 2, and I loved the game. If people can make it work, then good for them. I just don't see it as being an obvious or straightforward way to teach anything.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;36422562]Yeah, tell that to Czech Republic, where 90% of schools are firmly entrenched by Microsoft who paid their IT classrooms and was guaranteed that it's products will be educated almost exclusively. My graduation exam was doing some shit in MS Word. We learned horrible Access instead of something meaningful in the SQL area and learned C# instead of Java, even thought both students and teachers admitted the later would be preferrable in both cases.[/QUOTE] That's exactly what I'm talking about. Here in France, it's sort of better; pretty much all high school computers have OpenOffice or LibreOffice installed instead of MS Office. [QUOTE=Jzzb;36422570]Who cares about the original intention, it has been refined for educational use.[/QUOTE] It seems clear that Valve's intention is not philanthropic. It's the tried-and-tested strategy that corporations like McDonalds have used in the past: spread the word at the youngest age possible (in McD's case, happy meal toys, children-oriented stuff, etc.). Same thing goes with Apple and ~iPads in the classroom~ It's cool that kids are gonna get to play quality titles, but IMHO Valve's video games have very little educational value, and this just seems like a commercial move more than anything else.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422544]The difference is that Valve is an entertainment company. They sell content, not its container (hardware and operating systems). I [I]highly[/I] doubt Portal and Portal 2 were designed with "educational" value in mind.[/QUOTE] My highschool had several subscriptions to several websites and learning content from places like Discovery Channel and the History Channel. Those are both tv channels that strive for entertainment and sell their own channel. What i really want to get at here is: A. this is purely optional and is not stressed or forced at all to be used. B. Valve doesn't want to turn the children in brand hungry slaves to their products, we know this as a fact. Their "invasion" into schools is far from it. Portal 2 in addition to other games made by valve or through the source engine have been used in schools to demonstrate many things, now that valve has noticed this and started offering a basic version of portal 2 for free suddenly their a corporation infecting the minds of children? It also says right in the article that this isn't portal 2 the game being given to schools for free, but merely a watered down very basic version of the game, probably free of glados and miscellaneous content to deliver a lesson without impeadement from the game aspect.

[QUOTE=fenwick;36422576]I'll be honest, I don't really see the educational value of Portal 2, and I loved the game. If people can make it work, then good for them. I just don't see it as being an obvious or straightforward way to teach anything.[/QUOTE] If you think about it, it is just like lego. You learn shit and you don't know you do.

[QUOTE=fenwick;36422576]I'll be honest, I don't really see the educational value of Portal 2, and I loved the game. If people can make it work, then good for them. I just don't see it as being an obvious or straightforward way to teach anything.[/QUOTE] The website offers examples as well as detailed lesson plans [url]http://www.teachwithportals.com/?cat=3[/url] a specific example would be [url]http://www.teachwithportals.com/index.php/2012/05/volume-of-figures-and-the-puzzle-maker/[/url]

[url]http://www.teachwithportals.com/?cat=3[/url] to answer everyone's questions

The game does have logic as well, which should mean you don't have to be a maths whizz or a scientist.

well Oregon Trail worked pretty well

[QUOTE=salmonmarine;36422698]well Oregon Trail worked pretty well[/QUOTE] yeah but oregon trail has always made learning and educational material unless i'm mistaken they're not an entertainment giant trying to get a hold in the school market

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422797] they're not an entertainment giant trying to get a hold in the school market[/QUOTE] And Microsoft is a general software giant trying to get a hold in the market by signing exclusive software agreements with schools and offering 80% discounts directly to students. It's the same thing. Microsoft's deal is not philanthropic either, it's just about securing customers as early in their lives as possible.

[QUOTE=raviool;36422474]they are going to teach children how to make the gels.[/QUOTE] Take 1.7M moon dust and mix it with 2.4 moles of lactic acid, then heat lightly.

Now, the question in, do the schools have computers that can run any game released after 2005? My school doesn't.

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;36422544]The difference is that Valve is an entertainment company. They sell content, not its container (hardware and operating systems). I [I]highly[/I] doubt Portal and Portal 2 were designed with "educational" value in mind.[/QUOTE] Portal is still a good piece of problem solving.

"and encourage overall inquiry into STEM" That's the important part, and Portal does a pretty good job of it.

[QUOTE=Zacca;36423773]Now, the question in, do the schools have computers that can run any game released after 2005? My school doesn't.[/QUOTE] From what I've seen Portal 2 is pretty damn well optimized, and call me optimistic but I could imagine some school computers running it on near to lowest settings, but of course not every school uses the same computers