Back in the late 1980s and early 90s, U.S. state and federal governments tried just about everything to keep kids from dropping out.  The most popular method seemed to involve paying off millionaire celebrities, like Michael Jordan, to don posters and even t-shirts with the “Stay in School” message.  Now, there’s a new initiative to keep kids both entertained and firmly positioned in their desks: video games.

The plan is being hatched by a number of educators, with Indiana University professor Sasha Barab at the head of the class.  Barab doesn’t believe the answer is Doom (or any other game stereotyped as the downfall of society), but instead titles that challenge the mind without violence. 

Barab is most proud of a game whereby the player takes on the role of a detective desperately investigating the widespread death of a local park’s fish supply.  The classroom gamer must figure out if the problem relates to any number of possibilities, including nearby logging or leaky fertilizers.

Educators supporting the program believe games like this are an example of a concept called “digital media literacy”.  It’s one way, Barab says, to make sure children won’t “be left behind in world markets.”

So, would it work?

As one who has spent some 20 grades in school between kindergarten and the completion of an M.A., I can say any new challenge is a good one.  However, how can such a game based on individual thought translate to a classroom packed with twenty or thirty kids?  Barab’s idea, although noble, simply doesn’t seem practical.

A better idea? 

Presenting video games in the classroom certainly forms a welcome concept.  However, for now the most practical idea this writer has ever seen was presented in Morgan Spurlock’s nutrition documentary, “Supersize Me”.  Spurlock showcased an Illinois school that challenged Phys Ed students to reach higher scores by studio cycling, with the results of their work instantly represented on a screen in front of them.  It was Wii before Wii, and unlike Nintendo’s console actually provided the promised workout.

Video games will never be the answer to the literary harmony provided by books, but by diversifying the challenge to today’s kids it’ll keep them comfortably attached to those oh-so-uncomfortable wooden desks.