Welcome to the SMTE Advisory Board Meeting

1. Welcome to the SMTE Advisory Board Meeting Michael Hacker, PI, Hofstra University Jim Kiggens, Game Producer, SBCC mhacker@nycap.rr.com Kiggens@sbcc.edu

2. Agenda for SMTE Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, March 17, 2010 ITEEA Conference, Charlotte, NC • Introductions • Mission of Project • Scope of Project – Virtual (gaming – single and • multiplayer); and Physical Modeling • Overview of KSBs • Research and Evaluation protocols • Timeline for Play Test of Game KSBs and Multiplayer • Examples of Physical and Virtual Curriculum • Demonstration of Game Play • Discussion and Questions

3. Advisory Board Meeting Overall Goal: Obtain Critical Formative Feedback and Advice from Knowledgeable Educational Game Developers and Stakeholders Re: • Hybrid Model • Research Program • Pedagogical Approach • Scope of Project • Dissemination of Game and Results

4. From the NSF Proposal Simulation and Modeling in Technology Education (SMTE) is a five-year DR-K12 project to develop and research the academic potential of a hybrid instructional model and a set of prototypical materials that integrate 3-D simulation, educational gaming, and real-world physical modeling into middle school technology education programs.

5. Hybrid Modeling • Curriculum involving virtual (in this case) and real-world physical modeling. • Screen-based 3-D design simulations (three weeks) • Follow-up hands-on physical modeling activities (three weeks) • Research will be collected for different conditions

6. The ultimate challenge will be for players to design a shelter to survive in the Alaskan Wilderness. Before the players can do so, they will have to do a series of challenges that will prepare them with the skills they need to design the shelter (KSBs).

7. In the game, players will compete to become the host of the Survival Master Reality TV show. • The game will be played in school. • The KSBs will take about 10 days. • The whole game will take about 15 days (3 weeks of class time) • After the game, students will build the shelter physically, in the lab, using tools and materials (another 3 weeks of class time).

8. The Knowledge and Skillbuilders (KSBs) KSB 1: Surface Area and Volume Calculations KSB 2: Conductive Heat Flow KSB 3: Relationship between K Value and R Value KSB 4: Structural Design These tasks will be performed individually by each player Once the KSBs are completed, students will engage in the shelter design activity in four-person teams.

9. The first KSB has to do with learning about the volume and surface area of shelter shapes.. In this part of the game, the players will use some formulas that they’ve probably already learned in math to calculate the volume and the surface area of four geometric shapes: A cube, a cylinder, a sphere, and a square-based pyramid. If they’ve forgotten these formulas, they’ll be provided in the game.

10. The second KSB has to do with conductive heat flow. • Heat flows from hot to cold through a material by conduction. • Reducing the amount of surface area reduces heat transfer • Different materials conduct heat at different rates depending upon their thermal conductivity (their k value) • Heat flow decreases with increasing thickness. • The formula that relates heat flow (Q) to these determining factors is Q = kA (Th -Tc)/L

11. The third KSB has to do the relationship between k Value and R value KSB3: Backpacks & Liners • k value and R value are both measures of a material's resistance to heat flow. • k is a value that relates only to the material • R is value also takes into account the material's thickness. • The total R value (Rt) of a system of materials is the sum of each of the individual R values (Rt = R1+ R2+ R3 +R....).

12. The fourth KSB has to do with structural design • Dead loads, live loads, and wind loads are among those have to be taken into consideration when designing a structure. • The overall stability of a structure and its foundation refers to its ability to resist overturning and lateral movement under load. • Structural integrity refers to the ability of individual structural members that comprise the structure (and their connections) to perform their functions under loads. • Selecting materials involves making tradeoffs between qualities. • Structural design is influenced by function, appearance, cost, and climate/location

13. Timeline for Play Testing

14. SMTE: Research and Evaluation Overview

15. Evaluation / Research Timeline • Documentation of development process: Fall 2008 – Present • Initial reviews of game components by project staff and student advisory panel: Fall 2009 – Present • Microtesting: November 2009 – Present • Field/Pilot Testing: Fall 2010 – Spring 2011 • Research Project: Fall 2011 – Spring 2012 Project Staff Teachers Students

16. Evaluation/Research • Evaluation of game development process • Documentation of process: • Conference call data • Microtesting Schedule • Data being collected from: • Project Staff • Teacher Participants • Student Participants • Ongoing student advisory panel • General public

17. Research Components • Video Game Only • Students exposed only to the video game and instruction as a source for learning. • Physical Modeling Only • Students exposed only to physical modeling curriculum and instruction as a source for learning. • Hybrid • Students exposed to both the video game and physical modeling as well as instruction as a source for learning.

18. Research Questions and Design 1) Does the Project hybrid model lead to greater enhancement of content knowledge, design products, and self-efficacy/attitudes related to technology and group work than use of the physical modeling or simulation only models? 2) Is there differential impact on learning across the three conditions related to student background characteristics (e.g., gender, disability, prior academic achievement, and prior exposure to computer gaming/simulation)? 3) Does the gaming and simulation condition satisfy flow theory and perceptual control theory criteria concerning concentration and enjoyment? 3a) If so, how are student task engagement, concentration, enjoyment, and perceived goal-driven outcomes (key characteristics of flow theory and perceptual control theory) related to student learning in the gaming and simulation tasks? 4) What are the linear and nonlinear relationships between student self-efficacy and engagement during the simulation experience? 5) Can teachers adapt the prototypical materials to other curriculum areas and contexts using the instructor design interface and maintain student engagement and learning?

19. Research Design and Assessment

20. The Sequence of the Play Tests www.gaming2learn.org/playest Also: www.gaming2learn.org and www.hofstra.edu/smte

21. Dissemination Dissemination Plans • NCICT will provide the tools and expertise required for Project dissemination primarily through ATE Centers. Gordon Snyder is a member of the Project Management Team. • Use of the Gaming2Learn.org, Hofstra, and Dassault Systems Websites • Social Networking - Blogs, Face Book, Twitter, Flickr • Presentations will be made at national conferences: AERA, ASEE, ITEEA, NECC. • Results published in professional journals

22. Survival Master is an Educational Game

23. On to the Show……