CLN Telecon Sept 28, 2010

1. CLN Telecon Sept 28, 2010 EdGE@TERC Educational Gaming Environments Group Jodi Asbell-Clarke Teon Edwards Jamie Larsen

2. EdGE embeds STEM resources and tools in digital gaming environments

3. Why Games?

4. We know people love games.

5. within a compelling storyline… Games are often driven by puzzle solving…

6. that generates passion and blissful productivity* *Jane McGonigal, TED Talk 2010

7. Games also have rich potential for scientific inquiry, learning, and activism. Barab, S., Thomas, M., Dodge, T., Carteaux, R., & Tuzun, H. (2005). Making learning Fun: Quest Atlantis, A Game Without Guns. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(1), 86-107. Ketelhut, D. J. (2007). The impact of student self-efficacy on scientific inquiry skills: An exploratory investigation in River City, a multi-user virtual environment. The Journal of Science Education and Technology, 16(1), 99-111. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave/St. Martin's. Squire, K. (2003). Video games in education. International Journal of Intelligent Simulations and Gaming, 2(1), 49-62. Steinkuehler, C., & Duncan, S. (2008). Informal scientific reasoning in online virtual worlds. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17(6).

8. EdGE Endeavors

9. EdGE has designed Arcadia, a city in the new HD MMO called Blue Mars Blue Mars is a high definition massively-multiplayer online environment (MMO) in open beta-test. http://www.bluemars.com/

10. Martian Boneyards is a game of scientific mystery implemented over 4 months in summer 2010

11. Storyline of Martian Boneyards A team of explorers has settled a new land of Arcadia where they found an abandoned science center. They were repairing the tools in the center to understand what previous scientists were studying when…. they made a gruesome discovery……

12. Bones….lots of them. The team recruited players from the Blue Mars community to come help them figure out what had happened in the Martian Boneyards.

13. Players are given PDAs to scan and analyze the bones.

14. Players sync their PDAs with public sorting tables in the science center to measure and tag the bones by their species, body part, and location found.

15. Players use the theory-building area and forum area to post claims about their findings and the unfolding storyline. Each claim is required to have evidence from their analysis or outside sources.

16. Award Ceremony On Oct 7, an inter-planetary council is coming to Arcadia to select a winning team for their evidence-based claims leading to the discovery of missing scientists from their society. EdGE will also be awarding individual awards for players for significant contributions of different types.

17. Design and Facilitation Strategies Used in Martian Boneyards Open-ended but evidence-based storyline Nimble supports through EdGE player/observers and web-based media, flash boards Collaboration tools based on measurable model of scientific inquiry Rewards for productive scientific inquiry (community and individual) through new tools, avatar swag, and final awards

18. Preliminary Research Findings(preliminary data based on approximately 75% of data and unvalidated)

19. Audience • Three audiences are reported upon in this study. • The entrants (N=550) to Arcadia (those who took a demographic survey upon arrival in Arcadia) • All players (N=226)who continued in Arcadia to start using the inquiry tools (at least one click) • Core players (N=36)who interacted with inquiry tools >50 times. • It should be noted that Blue Mars was still in open-beta and had an approximate core of 50-100 ongoing members in the MMO during the Martian Boneyards implementation period.

20. Audience

21. Audience Missing data – does not add up to 100%

22. Audience *Missing data – does not add up to 100%

23. Phases of Inquiry Appears to stay constant across demographics

24. Duration Numbers of hours spent in Arcadia by players in core group. Women are spending twice as much time as men solving the mystery. Note these data have been cleaned to remove avatars that are likely “away from keyboard” – all record logs > 2 hr were removed.

25. Web discussion board was better suited for players’ theory building needs.

26. Quality of Science Content Players have successfully identified three skeletons as: a) 1 female human b) 1 male human c) 1 male hominin They have also correctly identified a lemur and chimpanzee along with interpreting tracks and other clues to understand what species may have been living (and dying) in the boneyards. Their evidence for these findings and others will all be reviewed by a panel of three anthropologists for their accuracy, relevance, and depth of analysis.

27. Still to come with Martian Boneyards research… How do the phases of inquiry differ by gender and other demographics? What is the quality of the science content and scientific inquiry generated in the game? (rated by a panel of experts in related scientific fields) What were players perceptions of the game experience for enjoyment, for collaboration, and its value for science learning? What design features and facilitation tactics are associated with increased participation, inquiry, and player value?

28. Future EdGE Projects NSDL (funded) – targeted research on how to create a pathway for scientific digital resources through serious games for the public. Others (pending) – to build transmedia games based on STEM content for K-12 learners and understand how to adequately and authentically measure science inquiry and science content learning in gaming environments

29. NSDL Goals Bring digital science resource providers together with game developers to deliver high quality STEM learning through games Identify opportunities and potential constraints on delivering digital science content through serious games to a variety of audiences. Objectives Create prototype game that uses high quality digital science resources in a compelling game that increases the publics awareness, knowledge, and stewardship of their natural environment. Make scientists and game designers aware of the power of STEM gaming and initiate conversations among key and interested parties in both fields.

30. Why Transmedia Gaming? MMO development offers unique opportunities but is very expensive and not very nimble. Different devices/environments offer affordances for different Tasks. Multiple platforms may gather multiple audiences.

31. Incorporate Real World Data Collection Gamers don’t have to be couch potatoes

32. The Reach – an example An alternate reality game about a very real situation…..the aftermath of the Gulf Oil Spill. Over the next year as birds are flying south to the gulf to feed, many may not find sufficient food sources to allow them to return to the north next year. Rewards can go to those with best evidence-based predictions along with observations showing results.

33. Questions for CLN Are there other climate questions that would be more suitable for prototype game? What resources are readily available? (and how do we use them?) What resources are available but need interface design? (and how do we use them?) In what other ways can our communities work together? What is the best way to make that happen?