skynet464: Here's a good 'un.
s23021536: Why couldn't history class be more like that? In school we had to learn about the Boer war. Well you know what, Civ V has got this awesome scenario where you can play as any of the nations in that power struggle. Last time I played as the Boers and there was no South Africa, no Botswana, no Namibia, no Zimbabwe. Only one country : Fort Kickass!!
I read an article a few years back and that's exactly what a history prof was doing. He moved his class to the computer lab, bought 20 copies of Civ 4, and taught the kids how to play. Then they played out different wars in history. They learned not just about specific wars, but also how the global stage puts certain populations in terrible danger due to resource need and greed.
Games, I think, can work in a classroom.
Some links:
https://www.graphite.org/game/sid-meiers-civilization-v (reviews for teachers as a teaching aide -- only one short review, but it's up for review, which is great)
and a short paper:
http://www.bu.edu/historic/conf2012/Cobb.doc (it's a download)
