Being a teacher, I like that these students were asked to take something they enjoyed (gaming) and apply it to their community. What is the point of educating our young if the first responsibility isn't teaching them how to become responsible adults and good members of our communities?

Still, what did this exercise do? Did the students truly grasp not just the issues at hand, but the points of view of the involved participants (city officials, developers, etc.) and the socioeconomic results of their actions? Developers and city officials aren't evil people who are chasing out the good, "smaller" people (such as the homeless).

Did the students learn how a good development can have positive impacts on a community, such as economic growth, an influx of new jobs, and a revitalization of a neighborhood? Did they learn that an ignored park may actually foster homelessness, in that it creates an "out of sight, out of mind" situation with the people of the community?

I read that article, and wondered how a week spent playing/learning Roller Coaster Tycoon (or something similar), and discussing how that park may impact a neighborhood, may have better served those students...

Hey Kevin,
Certainly, I understand your concern. Personally, I am a big fan of open-ended simulations, but as I tried to say on my post, it may be refreshing to try different alternatives. It is imposible to know for sure how the experiment described in the article went. And, as an educator, it is likely that my first choice would have been manipulating and discussing an open-ended simulation. Nevertheless, it is also true that it would be impossible to provide students with a systemic approach to urban life in a short while. I am also tempted to think that some students may prefer the design approach in order to have a first contact with the object of study.
The is no magical solution for applying games in education. And, even if I do agree with you on the fact that a SIM game could have been better, the jury is still out on educational videogaming and different attempts, even if they end in failure, can provide us with insight on how to use games to help students to better understand this world of us.