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This section of the V4T Project portal provides administrative information for the project contractual partners and for the European Commission and it is password protected.

Games

Translation:
de


This Section provides access to an Online database of:
• The best educational Videogames and mobile apps available on the market
• The most suitable Videogames and Apps that, even if not specifically designed for educational purpose, can be used as teaching or learning tools with students

Videogames and apps are categorized, analyzed and assessed in order to provide the teachers with all the necessary information and hints to make full use of the Videogames and Apps in teaching contexts.

Partners' Institution
Xano Channel
Author
Sonsoles Jimenez Gonzalez

APPS/VIDEOGAMES

Product type
Leisure videogame with educational potential
Name of the videogame/app
Cities Skylines
Name of the producer
Paradox
Year
2016
How to find it
To be Purchased
Main technical requirements
Windows, Linux
Native Virtual Reality Support
Yes
Single/Multiplayer
Single
Type
Simulation
Target Audience
1-5 years, 6-11 years, 12-17 years
Augmented Reality
PEGI Clasification
3

Use in Educational contexts

Degree of required tutoring
Autonomous use after teacher introduction/explanation
Subjects involved
History, Math, Natural Sciences, Geography, Technology, Philosophy
Special needs
Learning difficulties
Educational Potential
Cities Skylines is a game with a lot of educational potential. Is a complete simulation of a city: Economics, traffic, pollution, industry, residential areas, recreation, events, crime… Is especially accurate in traffic and pollution issues and the player needs to apply some simple political decisions to improve the city life. The students can learn some history, because the buildings evolve through time, Math doing the economical balance between taxes and expenses or investments. Natural Sciences managing the pollution and the noise pollution, deciding between coal or solar energy, for example. Shaping a city, the student can learn some concepts of Geography, for example, the influence of a big road in the economical evolution of the environment or the benefits of a train station. The different types of energy supplies or primary materials can be used to learn basic concepts of Technology. It’s a good game to talk about some philosophical concepts about politics, ethics, happiness, education. For example, if you don’t put libraries, parks or schools, a district can’t evolve and crime rises.

The risks to be taken into account in using the product with the students: Students only can build a european or US like city. The game only evolves the city if it grows up constantly. That may imply a limited view of political or ethical options
Learning Object / Suggested activities with students
In a Geography class, the teacher can build a city with a serious problem of traffic, print in paper the map and students have to plan the solution in paper and apply it in the videogame. Students have to detect the problem and make a creative and cheap solution. Later, they can talk about the benefits of a good public transport network.

Skills and competences

Skills and competences acquired
Managing economic resources, planning the traffic of a city (It is used nowadays in some universities), Knowing differents power supplies, Knowing some industrial processes.

We suggest to play some minutes, talk about an objective and play to achieve it. Later, students have to talk each other about the best way to improve a city or a traffic problem.
Soft skills
Critical thinking, Problem solving, Creativity, Self-confidence, Time management, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Innovation

1 Comments


Partners' Institution
FH JOANNEUM
Author of the comments
Andreas Schuch
I am not a Geography teacher myself, but I could imagine this city simulation could be very useful to discuss and explore certain aspects of urban spaces. So, for example, when certain concepts related to urban spaces are discussed in class, students could be tasked to re-create, model or experiment with certain concepts in the game: 1) build a functioning city using public transport/private transport only, 2) keep residential areas separate from industrial areas (or not), 3) modeling superblocks or changing street flow in certain ways, and so on...

There is a host of useful YouTube videos available online that could be exploited for school use.

At least one YouTube channel also uses Cities Skylines to talk about the emergence and politics of (large) cities in the US: https://kotaku.com/the-socialist-youtuber-using-cities-skylines-to-explai-1829245653




This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The V4T - Videogames 4 Teachers project © 2018