Bringing the Creed to the Classroom: Assassin's Creed as a Pedagogical Tool

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Leveling Up: Gaming and Game Design in Archaeological Education and Outreach" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Starting with the release of the titular game in 2007, creators of the Assassin’s Creed franchise have been showcasing the historical and archaeological record, bringing the past into our living and dorm rooms. Although criticism of the franchise focuses on the pseudoarchaeological connecting storyline, the franchise does include a highly organized, detail-oriented presentation of the past. Beginning in 2017, game developers, working with archaeologists, have implemented educational modes to guide student learners. This paper will not focus on the larger issues of the franchise that have been discussed elsewhere, but rather on the multitude of ways these video games can be introduced to the classroom to create truly novel learning experiences suitable for multiple learning styles and modalities. The Assassin’s Creed franchise is unique with its supplemental content, far exceeding any other game design, and has adaptable resources that many game franchises do not. Material from each of these for those teaching an Introduction to Archaeology, World Prehistory, or even Biological Anthropology. Elements of the game, including NPC (non-player characters), can help frame concepts and controversies in ways that allow students to make meaning of the material within a video game context in which they are familiar.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Leveling Up: Gaming and Game Design in Archaeological Education and Outreach   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38928.0