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When Was the Last Time You Saved a World?. Children’s Informal Science Learning in a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) . Ron Blonder & Sherman Rosenfeld The Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel. Confidential. MUVEs: Multi-User Virtual Environments.
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When Was the Last Time You Saved a World? Children’s Informal Science Learning in a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) Ron Blonder & Sherman Rosenfeld The Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel Confidential
MUVEs: Multi-User Virtual Environments An avatar, a personalized virtual character which represents the player in the game • Playing games in order to gain money, • Purchasing clothes and accessories for their avatar • Chatting with other avatars in the MUVE CHAIS, 2010, Israel
ekoloko MUVE: For children age 8-12 Focuses on ecology and the natural environment CHAIS, 2010, Israel
250,000 registered users 45,000 new registered users per month Active users spend on average 4.5 hours per week Over 1,500,000 games played in ekoloko every week Over 15,000,000 different activities performed every week ekolokoThe largest community for kids in Israel CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Science content experts: Identify interesting content for kids Provide valid scientific concepts Creative experts: Prepares general storyline Translates the scientific content into storyline narratives Content is implemented through: Community quests Adventures Games Trivia questions Newspaper NPCs Developing quality content CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Knowledge: To increase the scientific knowledge of the young players regarding ecology and the natural environment, Affect: To develop positive attitudes of these users towards ecology and the natural environment, and Behavior: To promote user behaviors which represent a positive approach to the natural environment. Educational Design Goals CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Challenge: Extremely Large Number of Userse.g., during one week in April 2009Number of recorded playing events: 416,000 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Research Questions: (1) How do the kids use the ekoloko MUVE? (2) To what extent does the ekoloko MUVE influence the knoeledge, affective and behavioral Development of the players? CHAIS, 2010, Israel
User Baseline Data: Age, gender, experience Analysis of Game Use: Frequency and duration Knoeledge: Trivia scores Affective Goals: CHEAKS questionnaire Behavioral Goals: “ekos” donation and activity in community events Research tool: Data Mining CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Results CHAIS, 2010, Israel
How do the kids usethe ekoloko MUVE? 8 4 3 7 11 15 6 18 2 9 14 1001 17 12 1004 10 16 22 1 5 1002 1003 N=416,000 playing events CHAIS, 2010, Israel
How do the BOYS use theekoloko MUVE? 8 - Jeans Factory 17 - Farting Lambs 4 8 3 11 7 15 6 18 9 2 14 1001 17 2 1004 10 16 22 1 5 1002 1003 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
How do the GIRLS use the ekoloko MUVE? 8 4 3 7 11 6 15 2 9 18 14 1001 12 10 1004 22 16 1 5 1002 17 1003 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Gender Comparison 8 - Jeans Factory 17 - Farting Lambs 8 4 8 3 11 7 15 6 18 9 2 14 17 1001 2 1004 10 16 22 1 5 1002 17 1003 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Using ekoloko: Focus and duration increase with experience 3 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Patterns in Using ekoloko: Frequency vs. Duration Data • Most of the games – Same duration for both; Higher frequency for boys. • Jeans Factory (8) – Higher duration for girls, same percentage for both • Farting Lambs (17) – Higher duration for boys, same percentage for both • Focus and duration increase with experience CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Cognition:Age differences N=4160,000 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
CognitionNovices Vs. Experts N=4160,000 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Cognition Gender differences N=4160,000 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Accumulative for age and expertise Equal for both genders Summary: Cognitive Effects CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Develop a storyline theme of good vs. bad as the basis for hundreds of narratives Place strong emphasis on activities that encourage interaction Individual path: Kids take responsibility and make an impact in the world Community path: Community events, eko-rangers Attitudes:Design Criteria CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Attitudes:Highly environmental positive N=1228 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Attitudes:Gender differences kids N=1228 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Attitudes:Time in the game N=1228 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Attitudes:Time in the game N=1228 CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Players have a strong emotional attachment with the environment Players develop stronger attitudes towards the ekoloko environment, the longer they play No consistent gender difference Summary: Attitudes CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Community Event: In order to prepare a proper dump site, money is needed and the players are asked to contribute their money they have earned in ekoloko. Question: What variables (e.g., age, gender, game level, weeks in ekoloko, etc.) correlate with levels of donations? Behavior CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Behavior CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Behavior Kids completed the quest before the dead-line: They acted as a community CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Two Answers: (1) Weeks in ekoloko and game level correlate with donation level. The more time players spent in this ecological MUVE, the more likely they would behave in an ecologically-responsible way (p<.0001,Pearson Correlation Coefficient test, N=19,070) This result correlates with the attitude survey Behavior CHAIS, 2010, Israel
(2) Gender effect: boy players contributed twice as much money as girl players. Hypothesis: External motivation played an important role through a high-score table. Behavior CHAIS, 2010, Israel
Conclusions & Implications CHAIS, 2010, Israel
We can use analytical tools (e.g., frequency vs. duration analysis) to make sense of large amounts of data regarding Game use Cognitive, affective and behavioral effects For different populations of users (e.g., gender, age, experience) Another important outcome is interesting and non-obvious “emerging questions” that can guide future research. Conclusions CHAIS, 2010, Israel
1. Research Methodology: We propose that our research can be used in data-mining educational MUVEs. 2. Informal learning:This kind of research can increase our understanding of kids’ behavior in informal learning environments called educational MUVEs. 3. Educational Design:It can also be useful for MUVE designers. Implications CHAIS, 2010, Israel
The kids absorb values and knowledge through fun activities in an environment that they choose to be in CHAIS, 2010, Israel