This is a webinar chat that I sat in on today (A few questions I posed are featured in the Q&A at the end.)
With the new SimCity release, they have also partnered with a company called GlassLab that has designed a teacher resource hub and also modified game that enables teachers to easily use the game in classrooms. There will be specific inquiry based challenges that allow students to interact in the game environment to investigate community issues (ranging from water shortages, power outages, labor disputes, earthquakes, budget concerns, etc.) and work with citizens and government to solve the issues. There is also an exciting multiplayer format where neighboring cities are controlled by other students and they must work together to solve problems.
Glass Lab is partnering with EA Games, Gates Foundation, and ETS to build the teacher hub where educators can design and share best practices, lesson plans, etc. In addition, they will be doing a long term study to measure educational outcomes. It appears as though they are using this game as a pilot opportunity to build the framework for larger commercial game integration into the classroom.
Johnny Mnuemonic is right around the corner! :-)
Seriously, I would have a hard time with electronic equipment that close to my head all the time. The warmth from my cell phone bothers me so this product would have to compensate for discomfort with warmth and close viewing. Regardless, it's coming anyway. Interesting how they don't show how it makes work easier, just free time.
I did not give my opinion initially, but the bottom line is: I would go nuts! John Stewart had a great take-off on this based on what "dogs" actually see!