AMES-188FS
GAMES AND CULTURE
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
Feedback is mixed. The clearest upside is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
DepartmentAMES
Terms offeredFall
Typical enrollment16–18
Semesters of data2
5.8
Hrs / week
20
Responses
50
Enrollment
40%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
3.7
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.3
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
3.8
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.8
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysismedium
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 51 comments across 3 sections
Feedback is mixed. The clearest upside is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Heavy homework load
Homework load is one of the clearest friction points. Students repeatedly describe assignments, readings, or problem sets as time-consuming.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Readings, films, or outside materials come up repeatedly as a real strength rather than filler.
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Student Responses
History and intentions behind games and play.
Fall 2025 · Ginsburg, Shai
This course was useful in finding more nuanced ways to understand and engage with games, seeing them as cultural objects as opposed to mere forms of entertainment. I learned more about the importance of the actual mechanisms of games, and the costs and affordances of different formats of games.
Fall 2025 · Ginsburg, Shai
I learned how to analyze different games with their mechanics and look at a game the way a game designer would look at it.
Fall 2025 · Ginsburg, Shai
Framework of games and play Games as a persuasive rhetoric How to evaluate games
Fall 2025 · Ginsburg, Shai
Engaging with the philosphies of scholars in the space was incredibly enjoyable. I learned a lot about what it means to be a game, how games affect society, and the intentions behind design choices.
Fall 2025 · Ginsburg, Shai
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Ginsburg, Shai 3.4Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.4Difficulty2.7Would retake25%Based on 7 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 3.9 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 18 |
| Fall 2023 | Ginsburg, Shai 3.4Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.4Difficulty2.7Would retake25%Based on 7 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 32 |
Instructor
Ginsburg, ShaiAMES
Also teaches
AMES-541S JEWS AND THE END OF THEORY4.8CMAC-660S GAMES, PLAY, AND SELFHOOD3.8