Programs and Problems The next step in my research would include attempting to mod Minecraft to suite my needs. While I was doing research on different texture pacts and different worlds that can be added to Minecraft I learned that the edition I had does not allow the kind of modification I am attempting to perform. According to a few online sources that I found Minecraft Education Edition can have different worlds, but only a small specific amount, and the texture packs were the same.
First Experiences and Experiments As someone who is very interested on alternative pedagogies I was very excited to start on the SimRomanCity project. However, I am new to coding, so I find that I am focusing on the adaptability of videogames and the ease of use rather than the actual coding. Video games and digital learning has changed and evolved. There are programs that allow for a certain freedom where an average student who may not want to code, but still enjoys alternative learning styles, can participate without needing to know complicated coding.
Dr. Graham is pleased to announce that the GRF has been awarded to two outstanding History students, Chantal Brousseau and Elise Anderson. Chantal is a second year student with a minor in Computer Science. In previous course work, Chantal has designed online exhibitions concerning the Hudson’s Bay Company and the textile trade, and has done research into the history of women’s dress in 19th century London. Elise is a fourth year student also with a minor in Computer Science.
This year, the Graham Undergraduate Digital History Research Fellowship was advertised in conjuction with what Dr. Graham is calling ‘the SimRomanCity Project’. Graham has experimented on and off over the years with the power of modding existing games to play up particular aspects of the past; when he came across a port of SimCity to js/html5 he decided it was time to give it another go! This year’s fellows are going to at least start with this, but in keeping with the philosophy behind the Fellowship, they’ll be free to take it whereever they like!