28 When it comes to teaching, OSU Computer Science Professor Subhash Kak takes a decidedly philosophical approach. “The best way to teach a subject is to teach it indirectly,” says Kak.“You can grab the students’ attention indirectly while you have them do something else they enjoy.” Kak uses this approach in a quest to make a complex academic discipline more understandable and attractive to students. So just what is attractive to today’s student? That’s a no-brainer. Thinking Outside the Xbox Kak and his team recently introduced Video Game Design, an upperclassman elective so popular in its first semester that enrollment maxed out with 22 students. After all, students now could play BioShock, Halo 3 and Fallout 3 on Xbox without fear of reprimand. Along the way, the students started to grasp computer science theories while developing entertaining video games. Kak’s philosophy was working. RIGHT Computer Science Professor Subhash Kak, far right, and computer science junior Parth Dalal, whose theory that innovative teaching methods may bridge the digital divide, are part of an OSU research team beginning to explore how creating games can foster critical thinking skills. STORY BY Lorene Roberson Hickey ’84 PHOTOGRAPHY BY Gary Lawson
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