Warcraft graphic novel as SAT study aid?

  • By thorsen-ink, GameSpot
  • Posted Oct 31, 2007 3:50 pm PT

Last night on The Daily Show, youth correspondent Demetri Martin poked fun with great alacrity at a series of new study aids for the SAT. Apparently test-prep powerhouse Kaplan has cosponsored a series of graphic novels that have the dialogue rewritten to include words featured on the verbal...

Last night on The Daily Show, youth correspondent Demetri Martin poked fun with great alacrity at a series of new study aids for the SAT. Apparently test-prep powerhouse Kaplan has cosponsored a series of graphic novels that have the dialogue rewritten to include words featured on the verbal section of the dreaded exam.

Among said graphic novels is one based on Blizzard Entertainment's popular Warcraft series, which begat the nearly as popular World of Warcraft. The novel in question is Warcraft: Dragon Hunt, the first book in The Sunwell Trilogy originally published in 2005 by manga house Tokyopop. Illustrated by Korean manhwa artist Jae-Hwan Kim, the novel was originally written by Richard A. Knaak, scribe of several Warcraft and Diablo-based novels. However, the new version, released this past July, features over 300 words commonly used in SATs and other college boards inserted into the copy.

Besides Warcraft: Dragon Hunt, Kaplan and Tokyo Pop have turned several other popular mangas into SAT study aids, including Van Von Hunter.

32 Comments

  • TehUndeadHorror

    Posted Apr 15, 2008 4:04 am PT

    @BlueBirdTS
    But that is how novels are written like...

  • King_sloth

    Posted Nov 25, 2007 9:10 am PT

    Do you think these companies are just trying to win the support of parents? "WoW the online video game? Isn't that supposed to help you with the sat? ok, we can get that."

  • rouge-ninja14

    Posted Nov 5, 2007 10:59 am PT

    If you enjoy something you are more likely to do it, so I think that this is a great way to get people learning.

  • thestickman

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 8:47 pm PT

    Haha I may have to pick up a copy and go take myself an SAT

  • CodingGenius Site moderator

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 7:50 pm PT

    Anything that uses SAT or other standardized test words in context is great. In my experience, those that have difficulty on the vocabulary sections of those tests usually aren't the most voracious readers.

  • fionndruinne

    Posted Nov 4, 2007 1:15 pm PT

    We're making a to-do over the fact that they've decided to put some halfway-proficient words into our reading material? We're kind of sad.

    Not that I mean to misappropriate the preponderant subject of discussion or anything.

  • rokkuman09

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 6:13 pm PT

    Wow, if you think that a WoW graphic novel will help you out that much with the SAT, I really wonder what you are smoking.

  • Zetzuei

    Posted Nov 3, 2007 12:15 pm PT

    atleast now i have a study guild for the SATs

  • playa42018

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 9:52 pm PT

    That's cool. I tend to read more when I have an interest in the stuff I'm suppose to read.

  • MasterChief725

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 3:59 pm PT

    no...u cant be serious...i mean..come on!

  • 1357900

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 12:00 pm PT

    Students will learn more, since they will be willingly reading material, since said material interests them. There's no guarentee that this will work for everybody, if at all; but I think it will work for some. Seriously, though, our educationial system's lack of material that will keep almost any student's attention span, and/or teach them something, and/or get them interested in something, is well severely damaging our society in terms of average intellect. So, I'd say,... yes, this method may not work well, if at all, but also, at least, yes this is a step in the right direction. Students need something that draws on their interests, not lulls them to sleep. This is but one of many problems in our education system.

  • Brainy142

    Posted Nov 2, 2007 6:52 am PT

    already happened (say at chapters. indigo) in english too.

  • lamprey263

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 11:34 pm PT

    I don't think this is really going to help someone out, if you have problems with the content on the SAT, this probably won't help at all... anyhow, I remember I took my math placement exam in college at the same time they were offering SATs for kids that were like in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, goddamn it was competitive then, and that was 7 years ago, I'd feel terrible bringing a kid into this world now.

  • BlueBirdTS

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 5:47 pm PT

    This is really sad. Just imagine what the novel will read like: "The altercation between the Dark Elf and the Dwarves was a harbinger of the lethal years to come".

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 5:22 pm PT

    That's why nerds read these kind of things!

  • latinchemist

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 4:11 pm PT

    The Math Section of the SAT:
    If this book sells 117,649 copies, and only 49 of those children pass the verbal section of the SAT, what percentage of losers will we have playing WoW in their parents basement for the next decade?

  • Evil_Incarnate-

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 3:57 pm PT

    they should put the SAT words and stuff in the acual game then i could tell my parents that i learned something playing WoW

  • boomboomkid

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 1:25 pm PT

    That's great, because the original is eerily devoid of any intermediate or advanced vocab whatsoever.

  • diangelogrey

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 1:01 pm PT

    Its sad that its come to this, but if it gets younger people reading then I guess its unavoidable. Sadly I hope this doesn't become a trend. Now that would be sad.

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 12:05 pm PT

    I think this is a great idea. I know I'd personally have been much more enthusiastic about reading books as a kid that school supplied/suggested if they were graphic novels like this rather than very dull ones I did get. Hopefully it'll get more students into reading. (This particular graphic novel is actually pretty good too)

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 12:04 pm PT

    its probably an egn prof who wrote the book trying to make an extra buck. lol. kidding

  • Super-Mario-Fan

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 11:59 am PT

    I couldn't stand the SAT. Unlike other tests, the SAT exams discouraged guessing, which is one thing I tend to do a lot of on tests.

  • jonfigs

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 11:56 am PT

    Interesting. I hated taking that test.

  • XeroTheory142

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 11:47 am PT

    That's actually a really good idea.
    If people read something they are interested in, but don't know what all the words mean, they'll be more likely to look it up.

    nice.

  • dr_jashugan

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 10:48 am PT

    Cool. I think that will be an incentive for students to read more.

  • joeyfine

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 10:23 am PT

    thats funny.

  • Sheiko

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 10:22 am PT

    Hey people benefit that ultimately lead to everyone else benefiting. We should encourage this strategy in other markets, fields and so on.

  • Belkajr

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 9:49 am PT

    Lol. That's just about all I can say

  • silentstriderm

    Posted Nov 1, 2007 9:40 am PT

    Does the math portion require students to calculate the chances of a critical hit?

  • RandomLoler

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 7:35 pm PT

    As long someone gets something useful out of it , that doesn't consist of being related by WoW then no one should complain.

  • TehPickle

    Posted Oct 31, 2007 7:10 pm PT

    Crazy! As long as they don't start trying to peddle WoW to kids as a social skills tool, then fine....I guess...?

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