A university in the U.K. is now offering "Pokémon GO" as part of their Business Information Technology course. The move has since gained backlash, accusing the school of "dumbing down."
The Daily Mail reported that Salford University has allowed its student to play the highly-popular "Pokémon GO" game as part of their degree course. The school noted that the game, which allows players to find virtual animated Pocket Monsters in real-world locations, will make its Business Information Technology course more "accessible."
Critics have claimed, though, that the move is actually a "dumbing down" of degrees. One such critic, Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education, noted that the idea was "farcical" and that it is a way to encourage students to acquire huge debts on courses that have few job prospects. Salford University lecturer David Kreps denied the claims.
"We want new students to feel that our subject is accessible and easy to grasp," he said. "'Pokémon GO' fits perfectly with that. It uses various information systems that are accessed over the internet, a digital camera and a GPS location sensor."
According to The Next Web, Krep emphasized that the course will get "a little more complicated." It will be more than just catching Pokémon.
This is not the first time that the highly-popular augmented reality "Pokémon GO" game has been integrated into a school's curriculum. It was previously reported that the game has become a physical education class at Fresno City College.
It was listed as a physical education course, PE-6 #25718 Walking and has one unit of transferable credit. The "Pokémon GO" class will start in the second half of the fall semester from Oct. 17 to Dec. 8. It will run from 9:00 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The college's women's soccer coach, Oliver Germond, will be teaching the course.
The University of Idaho has also offered a class called Pop Culture Games with "Pokémon GO" as its main focus. The class is believed to not only give students an enjoyable physical activity; it will also promote team-building and leadership.
