For science, you monster

By Akshit Goyal

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A screenshot of the game.

In the three or so hours that people played it, they were hooked. Ask them why, and the reasons are many, one of them being the unique-core mechanic. It’s true — Portal was one heck of a brilliant game.It’s not very hard to argue that the original Portal was a revolutionary step forward in physics-based puzzle solving, if not gaming itself.

But, what many overlooked in the absorbing experience was the hidden potential in the engine to be used for teaching fundamental scientific and mathematical principles to kids.

Portal is one of the rare games that can change the way we think about the world, how we view the physical space around us. It’s an important lesson: what might seem like a dry subject in the classroom has amazing applications outside of it.

Recognising this, Valve recently offered the title for free on Steam till September 20. This was a great way to spread the love of science and gaming to children. I believe, and if one hadn’t played Portal until this point, they had no excuse.

“One of the biggest challenges in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math is capturing the students’ imaginations long enough for them to see all of the possibilities that lie ahead,” the company wrote on the Learn with Portals site.

“Using interactive tools like the Portal series to draw them in, makes physics, math, logic, spatial reasoning, probability and problem-solving interesting, cool and fun, which gets us one step closer to our goal-engaged, thoughtful kids!”

This isn’t all speculation; Valve actually called in seventh grade students for a while and had them playing with the engine. In the process of creating new levels, children gained a deeper understanding of how stuff works, and how to make it work if it doesn’t. If India adopts these methods for teaching, the pros are many.

For one, the lack of competent teachers in the country can be subverted by such means. And two, you can have children playing a game, while subconsciously instructing them on topics that often require a deeper sense of comprehension than most. If only we can set up the infrastructure