There are not enough students studying science and engineering in the United States. Sometimes it takes a Trojan horse, like a game to compel them to be interested in pursuing a technical field. After all, we can't all be slackers and journalists.
Back in 2007, I wrote about an IBM
“serious game” called Innov8 that induces IT teams and business leaders to collaborate more effectively on BPM by showing players how SOA affects different parts of the organization. A little more than a year on from its pilot, over 100 universities are using the game.
It may not have the allure of a Halo tournament, but the students must like it, and Big Blue is hosting a gaming event at its headquarters in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina on Feb. 10. That type of program helps spark interest in careers in IT.
While I was in college, I attempted to bring an NSA program to my university. The government promised internships and job placement for students in return for a curriculum that met prescribed standards for teaching students about secure programming.
Sadly, it didn't happen, because hiring new faculty is a lifelong investment, and the program required changing courses in several departments.
IBM might be trying to grab some mindshare, but efforts like 'serious gaming' raise awareness about the types of challenges that are being faced in 'real world' IT without shaking up the higher ed establishment.