Students analyze historical images from Assassin's Creed

E-sports and so-called "Let's Play" videos (in which viewers watch players play computer games) achieve high click numbers on the video platform YouTube. A similar format is the goal of the course "Double digital - double analog" - only here it is called "Let's Analysis". Instead of viewers watching the player go through the game world, they get an insight into the historical facts of Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

"Computer games are part of students' lifeworld and also integral to historical culture," says Prof. Dr. Kai Ruffing, professor of ancient history at the University of Kassel. Assassin's Creed, he says, is particularly interesting from a historiographical perspective. The game developers ensured a very accurate depiction of the buildings and the various areas of daily life.

"Movies with a historical background like '300' or 'Gladiator' shape images of history. The same is true for computer games," Ruffing said. "But the game world portrayed does not always match the real facts." As part of the course, students will work to bring the digital world and ancient historical research together. To do this, Assassin's Creed Odyssey will first be played and then analyzed using methods from historical studies.

Dr. Kai Matuszkiewicz of the university's Teaching Service Center, who has a background in media studies, and Prof. Ruffing will jointly guide students in the course. "History students can develop their digital skills as well as their historical reflection skills in equal measure through the course," Matuszkiewicz says.

A field trip to Athens with the students is planned for next spring. Then the participants will also be able to get an accurate picture on site and compare fiction and reality. The project is funded by the University of Kassel's Central Teaching Grant.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Kai Ruffing
University of Kassel
Department 05 Social Sciences
Nora-Platiel-Str. 1
34109 Kassel
Tel.: +49 561 804-1904
E-mail: kai.ruffing[at]uni-kassel[dot]de