Mathew Powers speaks in games, he connects through games, and he's literally surrounded by game elements in his offices and in the Media Arts & Science Research Lab & Learning Arcade (shortened to MARLA based on earlier versions of the name) where he can be found outside of class. When he first started teaching, he tried to do things by the book. But one memorable moment changed everything: A student looked him right in the eye and said, "Hey, I'm paying 900 bucks for this class. I want my A now." The student wasn't kidding or being ironic.
Mathew Powers
Lecturer in media arts and sciences, IU Indianapolis
That's when Powers knew he needed to reframe things for his students. He wanted them to realize that they're paying instructors to help them do what they want to do. The rest of life would probably be the flip of that, with someone paying them to do something they may or may not want to do. They chose his class. Where do they want it to take them?
Ultimately, Powers doesn't want his students to have rigid minds. Instead of following the rubric and focusing on their grade, he wants them to learn how to adjust and adapt and get better along the way. With that in mind, Powers gamifies his classes right in the syllabus, encouraging students to "play the class game."
Check out Mathew Powers' infamous syllabus page on "playing the class game"
"Like all good games, there will be ups and downs, lulls and doldrums, exciting bonus levels. You can miss 3 classes. Those are your 3 lives. Every project is a level. Every time I give you a score, those are your gold coins. Your job is to try and defeat me."
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The door to Powers' office is covered in stickers and decals, but two are most important to understanding his teaching. The first is the unnamed old man from the start of the Legend of Zelda. He's known for saying "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this." He then gives the main character a sword to aid in his quest to defeat Canon and rescue Princess Zelda.
The second sticker is Bowser, the main villain in Nintendo's Mario franchise. Powers notes that you cannot be a hero without an antagonist, so he takes on the role of Bowser in his game design classes. He is there to challenge his students and get them to rise above. He will give them the tools they need, and it's their job to focus on defeating him by completing a really good level (meaning creating a really great game) that is fun, engaging, and original.
Together, the two characters help get students into a mindset of gaming, of having fun while taking on challenges. To Powers, if you're not having fun -- and if you're not shedding some blood, sweat, and tears along the way (contrary to popular belief, gaming is hard work), you're not making the right game. His courses emphasize these expectations in place of traditional measures of success.
Grades aren't a real indicator of your true potential, your true success. Employers are going to look at what you've done. How are you getting out there? Have you put your game up on Steam [the online game platform]? Is it fun?
He's found that games open up an honesty and a connection that is unrivaled. The students bring their authentic selves into the classroom. They make games that are fun and goofy and insane. They make games that deal with serious issues and allow them to process. Whether it's about escaping the world or facing the realities of it, it's a journey they take together.
Powers' advice for other instructors: Find a game you enjoy playing. Try to figure out what gets you to go back time and time again. Apply elements of it in your classes. "We're all so disconnected from what makes things great in our childhood, and that is fun and play. You can still be an adult and play. Gaming isn't going to fix and heal everything, but adding little aspects of it to your class can really enhance it."