Many parents wish their kids would spend less time at the computer playing games and messaging and more time on homework, sports, or family activities. One university professor, however, has come up with a combined solution that would use educational role-playing video games in the classroom.

Doug Thomas, an associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication, is developing a game for students aged 10 to 12 that teaches ideas and skills not found in traditional textbooks. His game, “Modern Prometheus,” uses the story of Frankenstein’s monster to teach ethical decision making.

The player assumes the role of Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant who’s forced to make a series of difficult choices that impact the game’s outcome. To complicate matters, Thomas and his team added a twist—the assistant must help the doctor cure a plague that threatens their town’s residents. One dilemma is whether or not to steal body parts from a cemetery—a key requirement for curing the disease. “We want them to really wrestle with doing things and ask, ‘Is it good for me, or is it good for everyone else?’ There is no right way or wrong way to play it,” he explained.

The aim, Thomas said, is for students to play the hour-long game individually then discuss the choices they made with their teachers and classmates. “It’s not just a game but also the conversation that happens around it,” Thomas said. “When kids play games they don’t just play them, they also talk about them with each other. There’s a huge amount of informal learning that goes on.”

Currently in beta testing, “Modern Prometheus” is expected to be in some U.S. classrooms by spring.