At Learntec, one important German trade show and congress for “technology learning”, your author had the opportunity to take a closer look at a project he has known for some time for some from German press.

1378 (km) proposes a HalfLife-based first person shooter as an eLearning-tool for conflict resolution, peace-keeping and changing peoples perception about violence now and in history.

The shooter set to the background of the inner German boarder was greeted by heated media reaction. Instead of “terrorists” and “counter-terrorists” known from Half-Life’s most popular modification Counterstrike, the game sets GDR border guards against “Republikflüchtlinge” – i.e. Germans trying to flee the socialist GDR into the Federal Republic of Germany. Important German media outlets such as Bild found the game “disgusting”. The video game artists as well as staff from their alma mater Staatliche Hochschule für Kunst Karlsruhe had to be put under police protection after having received death threats.

The approach of the game – another version pits European border patrols against refugees from Northern Africa – is drastic and at first glance might rather shock than achieve a direct learning effect. One of the Games creators describes:

“Most people are inclined to first choose the side with guns (the border guards) to get some ‘action gaming’. However, quite soon there is a process of reflection. People start by asking “What am I doing?” and are then able to transport this question towards a more global level.”

A most intriguing approach of game-based learning in your authors opinion. I would be more than happy to share yours.