Life Lessons from The Oregon Trail
Written by Perceivant Marketing & Content Manager Nicole O’Neal
I am what the media has classified as a “millennial” — I was born in the late 1980’s and grew up in the 1990’s of rapidly changing technology. I was immersed in computer technology at a fairly young age. Keep in mind though, I still learned to write in cursive, lived in a pre-internet home, and used printed dictionaries and the Encyclopædia Britannica for research projects throughout middle school. I saw the shift in my life from occasionally playing Solitaire on my dad’s computer to my current smart phone, tablet, laptop, always-connected state. What started as beginner typing classes in elementary school advanced to full multimedia PowerPoint presentations & typed reports in high school. This is why I’m surprised to see that technology in the classroom is still such a hot topic.
There is a pivotal computer-based learning experience that comes to mind to which people of my generation can relate: The Oregon Trail game. Even as I met new friends in college from different parts of the U.S. we could all recall playing The Oregon Trail game in school, and loved to relive our memories of fording rivers and hunting on the computerized prairie. Created by a teacher and released in 1971, The Oregon Trail video game became so popular that there are still online and app versions for fans to play today. It was heralded in as an engaging educational tool and a huge step forward in computer-based learning. Apart from making history fun and interactive, The Oregon Trail game taught decision-making, problem solving, and analytical skills.
Like most students, I started learning about the American westward migration in grade school history class. While the textbook lessons provided a blurred view offering a few key points and facts, I vividly remember being introduced to The Oregon Trail game in school and how it enhanced my understanding of the lives and challenges of those traveling the frontier. Playing the game was one of the few times I could break out of the monotony of texts and quizzes and really engage with class material in a way that was fun and, although virtual, real to me. I remember begging my mom for a home copy of the game.
At the start of the game the player picks an occupation, selects a departure and destination point, names their wagon companions, buys supplies, and takes off. Various scenarios pull player into the world of traveling pioneers. Challenges include equipment malfunctions, lack of resources (food, skills, tools, money, items for trade), illness, and weather catastrophes that impact the ability to safely reach the destination point. Players start to learn that every decision they make from start to finish has positive or negative consequences. Departure time affects traveling through the dusty summer or the freezing winter. If they choose to be a doctor then they can help sick companions, but if the wagon breaks down who has the skills to fix it? Players can hunt as much game as they can catch, but how much of it can they safely carry and preserve before it spoils?
The experience was interactive, educational, and FUN. Some of my teachers even made competitions to see who could successfully manage their trip among the class. Rather than reading about the journey in a one-dimensional textbook experience, I was able to experience it for myself. There were different outcomes with every play, showing that no one pioneer’s journey was the same. You can bet that every time I failed to reach my destination, I changed my strategy during the next gameplay. And the game engaged multiple styles of learning: visual, auditory, verbal, logical, solitary, and even social in reference to classroom competitions.
If an interactive game like The Oregon Trail can teach students both history and problem solving skills, why can’t that same immersive learning be applied to all courses, especially in college?
It’s no secret that we are in a state of restructure when it comes to education. It’s a constant debate among politicians, educators, parents, and even students. The cost of education has risen significantly with students taking on more loan debt than ever to cover the price of tuition and textbooks. The national college dropout rate is at 45% (almost half!) Employers claim that those who do graduate lack the fundamental problem solving, collaborative, and communicative skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
The issues are various and the solutions are not simple. Our current educational system — from kindergarten to college — struggles to adapt and scale to the diversity of students. Standardized testing and mandated curricula are often “one size fits all” and fail to acknowledge that many different ways that students learn. The Oregon Trail game is successful because it transforms history from being facts and pictures on a page into an interactive experience where students put what they learn into action. They are able to put lessons into context and use that knowledge to plan, adapt, and reflect — the basic problem solving skills for life.
This is why at Perceivant we recognize that all students are unique and come to class with a unique set of attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors. Instead of offering traditional textbook learning, we provide interactive online learning tools that include self-assessments with immediate feedback, creating the opportunity for reflection. We strive to bring lessons out of textbooks and into the students’ worlds. This approach encourages students to see how their own attitudes and perceptions shape what they see and learn.
With a focus on health and wellness course materials, our products help students to see themselves as multidimensional beings, and wellness as holistic element to healthy lifestyles. Just like how The Oregon Trail enables students to personalize their understanding of westward expansion, our self-assessments provide students with a personalized perspective of health. With that knowledge, they can apply what they learn directly to their lives, demonstrating their understanding of the material. We are replacing the traditional textbook and other forms of one-way lecture with a new kind of learning environment that truly personalizes learning while giving educators a convenient tool for creating an engaging, collaborative classroom experience.
