Our world is changing at an astounding speed with the help of globalisation and the constant emergence of new technologies. To keep up with these changes, education needs to adapt new realities to be able to train students for future. In this regard, science fiction for students can work greatly. Teachers today have unlimited possibilities to explore when looking for new resources for their classes including science fiction in education which is an excellent resource for this purpose. To offer personalised learning to the tastes and needs of students, teachers can rely on interesting resources to enable students in their respective subjects.
Science fiction is being used by teachers throughout the history of education. This literary genre collects a series of facts sometimes expressed in the voice of a narrator that uses descriptions and narratives to tell stories for promoting scientific ideas motivating and inspiring students to come up with their own. Derived from fiction literature, recounts events that occur in imaginary settings, created on the basis of physical or natural sciences. Stories of space travel, machine revolutions, massive epidemics and even zombie invasions have proven to be true allies and are reasons why it is important for students.
In fact, there are two teachers who have developed specific strategies that demonstrate the benefits and importance of science fiction.
The Use of Science Fiction in Education for Engineers
Assistant Professor Sophia Brueckner works at the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art and Design in Ann Arbor. She developed her interest in computers at the age of two, her class called Sci-Fi Prototyping. She teaches her engineering students the advantages of Sci-Fi can have for their future careers.
In her lectures, she encourages her students to build technologies that will effectively change the way we live. She feels inspired by the science fiction novels she reads and intends to inspire her students just as much.
The Use of Science Fiction for Students to Build the Future
Former Professor Amanda Licastro at Stevenson University also uses science fiction to teach and inspire her students. She teaches digital rhetoric. In her research, she focuses on the intersection of technology and writing that includes book history, dystopian literature and extended reality.
In her lectures, she aims to inspire students to use ideas of science fiction in their writing courses, and at the same time, to imagine what the future of education and reading itself will look like in the next few years. When she designs her courses, she uses virtual reality and science fiction; through this combination, she allows her students to imagine new realities.
The Use of Science Fiction in the Educational World
The trend of combining science fiction with education has spread across different universities. In fact, many initiatives seek level of imagination that genre allows to help design the education.
Stanford University is a great example in this regard. Through the work of students, teachers and the entire educational community, Stanford University has presented its initiative called Stanford 2025. Through this platform, it is possible to propose what the future of education will be like, and design a model that responds to the challenges and needs of current students.
The Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education has also developed TecPrize. This project seeks that local as well as international students present innovative proposals for improvement of education through technology. Through contests and different awards, students invited to submit proposals in form of short films or graphic novels.
Dozens of pages can be filled with initiatives that take advantage of the works that demonstrate the immense importance of science fiction. Science fiction as an educational tool is being adopted by professionals from different branches of knowledge, from science to philosophy, literature and languages, among others. Its use is spreading in different continents and at all levels of the educational system, from elementary school to university. It’s a catalyst for students’ interest and motivation in the field of education and learning.
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