Compeau, Timothy, and Robert MacDougall. “Tecumseh Lies Here: Goals and Challenges for a Pervasive History Game in Progress.” In Pastplay: Teaching and Learning History with Technology, edited by Kevin Kee, 87-108. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2014.
The authors describe augmented reality games (ARGs) and how the struggle to break down the barriers between reality and the online world is strengthened by the use of ARGs. No longer is one necessarily disconnected from reality when online, as ARGs surpass traditional games and simulations that are restricted to a virtual environment when expanding to streets, museums and schools. According to the authors, historians have just begun to realize the potential of using ARGs in their history classrooms and research. They wished to discover if they could create games that taught true historical thinking and awakened users to the pervasive presence of the past with evidence-based experiences. In this chapter, the authors discuss their goals, challenges and the progress they have met in their journey to create a War of 1812 ARG, more specifically focused on Tecumseh. They describe the Tecumseh Lives Here ARG, detailing both the progress and the problems. The authors conclude the chapter with more questions than answers but remain optimistic about the benefits of using ARGs in developing historical thinking through inquiry-based historical play.