Game On!Using Video Games to Teach STEM in the Classroom

Adrienne Evans Fernandez, Jamie Reaves Kirkley4 February 2012

AgendaIntroductions

Games as teaching toolsOverview of the fieldGetting support from stakeholders

AstroEngineer: Moon Rover (AEMR)Review games and learningOverview of AstroEngineer gameReview the AEMR Teacher’s GuideExplore a demo of the game

Who Are We…..WisdomTools, Inc. creates serious games and e-

learning solutions for education and trainingUse entertainment game approaches that engage

and teach; game mapped to objectives and standards

Focus on STEM-focused games that teach difficult concepts in science, technology, engineering and mathematicsAstroEngineer: Moon Rover (released Aug 2010)AeroEngineer: Race to Mars (TBR Aug 2012)NanoMech (TBR Fall 2012)

The Challenge of STEM (Science, Math, Engineering & Mathematics)

U.S. is not able to fill STEM-related job positions due to lack of STEM graduates

Many students lose interest in STEM-related courses at the middle and high school levels

Minority and female students are more likely to discontinue taking STEM related courses (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005)

Minorities are underrepresented in high-level science, technology, engineering and math occupations (Leslie, 1998)

Serious GamesSerious games (a subset of computer

educational games) seen as a way to engage students in STEM

Federation of American Scientists, Gates and MacArthur Foundations, Woodrow Wilson Institute, etc. etc.

White House office examining educational benefits of video games:http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-01-26/edcuational-video-games-white-house/52908052/1

Advantages of Using Serious Games in STEM

Take students to space!!

Reach students on their own terms; research shows they play HOURS of video games at home each week

Playing games motivates students, and motivated students learn more

Build student interest, engagement & learning in STEM

Teach concepts not possible in real life (i.e., dangerous)

Support inquiry-based learning Combine with hands-on and other types of activities Use games as part of project and problem based learning

curricula

Serious Games & Learning Serious games can facilitate:

Building interest and learning STEM content/careers “Strategic thinking, problem solving, plan formulation and execution,

and adaptation to rapid change” (Federation of American Scientists, 2006)

Players are given opportunities for challenge, strategy and problem-solving (Lazzaro, 2004).

Well-designed games can support: Problem solving & decision making (Adams, 2006; Gee, 2003; Taradi,

Taradi, Radic & Pokrajac, 2005) Active learning (Winn, 2008) and creativity Complex systems thinking and literacies (Steinkuhler, 2008) Experiments, inventions, & learning by doing (Rickard & Oblinger,

2004) Team-based challenges/collaboration (Bourgonjon, 2008) Creativity (Jackson et al, 2011)

Serious Games & PBLGames more effective when embedded in

instructional program that includes feedback and debriefing (Hays, 2006)

Researchers have promoted the use of digital games within problem based learning environments (Annetta, Cook & Schultz, 2007; Kiili, 2005; Maxwell et al, 2004)

Natural ties between PBL and games (Annetta, Cook & Schultz, 2007; Kiili, 2005; Maxwell et al, 2004)

Both are learner centered Both provide authentic challenges to solve Both often require collaboration, negotiation, and problem

solving

Disadvantages of Games Implementation:

Technical support Learning and curriculum Integration Clarity of objectives/standards met

Monitoring learning and assessment Assessment and monitoring of student learning Debriefing and student report outs Achievement of learning outcomes

Buy in from admin, parents and IT

Using games in ways that do not support effective STEM learning: Game as reward only Game as entertainment only Babysitting tool Little or no facilitation of learning in classroom

Games As Teaching ToolsHistory of using games to support learning

Oregon Trail, SimCity, Math BlasterCurrent games and virtual worlds

River City, Wolfquest, Selene, Supercharged!, Whyville.net, WhyReef, Quest Atlantis, Eco MUVE, Electrical Endeavors

Similarities and differences between simulations, games & virtual worldsSims: First person, focus on realism/fidelity, algorithmic

formula with time and conditions as variablesGames: Provide rewards, entertainment, learn by failureVirtual Worlds: Persistent world, interactive community

Tips for Gaining Buy InTo get buy in from administrators and parents:

Write brief letter or newsletter article on the specific game and how it’s being used to support STEM learning in your classroom

Provide information on learning outcomes and provide images

To get buy in from IT:Provide information on technical requirementsHave a back up plan in case Internet goes down!

AstroEngineer: Moon Rover

AstroEngineer: Moon Rover™

AstroEngineer: Moon Rover is an educational video game created to introduce middle school students to the engineering design process.

Developed in partnership with Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a non profit that provides middle and high engineering curriculum to schools in all 50 states

Project Lead the WayPLTW approached us in 2009 to

form a partnership.

Gateway to Technology: Middle school engineering curriculum

Wanted a product that required students to design solutions to a problem and reinforce the cyclic steps of the engineering design process.

You do NOT have to be affiliated with PLTW to use AstroEngineer: Moon Rover!

Engineering Design ProcessGame play focuses on use of the engineering

design process to :Analyze mission requirements and key design

criteria/constraints for an unmanned lunar roverDesign your rover to meet mission requirements

by choosing among various parts (e.g., body type, wheel type, power source, and sensors)

Test your rover by driving it on an authentic lunar surface and under realistic conditions

Redesign your rover until the mission is successful and then move on to the next mission

Background of Game Set 30 years in the future, the

player is aboard the Goliath, a manned lunar mobile base stationed near the Mare Humorum

Core challenge in the game is design, test, and redesign a lunar rover based on specific engineering design criteria and constraints.

Players design smaller rovers; confronted with authentic lunar terrain, hazards, and environmental conditions

Overall Mission

Game DesignThe game itself consists of five sets of missions

(a tutorial, three regular missions, and a rescue mission)

Each mission is comprised of 4 to 5 legs, each with a different goal.SpeedDurabilityCollection of samples

Each leg will require a different configuration of parts in order to be successful!

Rover Construction Area

Test Your Rover Design

Mission Feedback Screen

AstroEngineer Leaderboard

AEMR Problem-Centered Curriculum Unit

Week long teaching unit with: Game Introduction and Overall Challenge (10 min)

How can the different design choices that you make impact your rover’s performance?

What factors influence the design choices that you make?

What strategies can you use to improve your rover design?

Game Play (25 min)Debriefing (15 min)

What was the core mission today?

What design criteria you were given?

What design constraints did you encounter?

How did you optimize your design?

Classroom Implementation

In a traditional 50 minute period students are expected to complete about 1 mission per day

On block schedules students can complete 2-3 missions per day.

Scientifically Authentic Authentic

Lunar Geography NASA Images Vocabulary Engineering process

Includes Earth and Space science objectives, including Characteristics of the Lunar environment Topographical characteristics and vocabulary

(regolith, rilles, mares, etc.) Specific locations and structures the game

visits (craters, rimae, etc.) Common elements and minerals found on the

moon

As close as we could get..Design Simplifications:

Rover Parts & Capabilities (middle school audience)

Speeds

Pushing the Envelope…!Presence of Ice on the

Moon?

Research FindingsResearch funded, in part, by NSF

Pre/post quasi-experimental study conducted with 341 middle school students (~equal number of males/females; racially diverse population)Females = 54.4% of sampleMales = 45.6% of sample

Students played for ~2 hours (113 minutes) over one week period, or 45.2% of overall class time; does not include game introduction and debriefing sessions

Research FindingsAnalysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to

examine pre/post differences

Results indicated statistically significant differences in learning between the pre- and post-test (F [1, 681] = 475.135, p < .001, partial eta-squared = .411), with higher scores on the post-test

Both male and female students provided positive feedback on the game’s design, ease of use, and graphics

Supporting EducatorsAstroEngineer: Moon Rover™

includes curriculum supportTeacher GuideStudent GuideFAQsLesson plansEnrichment activities

The Teacher’s GuideAstroEngineer: Moon

Rover includes documents to help you and your students get the most out of the game

The guide includesBasic instructional and

narrative overviewLearning objectives

The Teacher’s GuideGetting started FAQControls and parts

overview for teachers

Mission flow charts

The Teacher’s GuideStandards Alignment

ITEEANSESNSTA

GlossaryGeneral Moon TermsEngineering Terms

Description of Parts

Student GuideIncludes

Game OverviewGetting Started TipsEngineering design

stepsGlossary

Supplemental ActivitiesSometimes the

internet goes down.

MINI Card Game!

Extension OpportunitiesAdditional

activities that can extend the AstroEngineer: Moon Rover game out of the computer lab.Tires for the

MoonCost Analysis

Activities

Release of AEMRAstroEngineer was released in August 2010 to

over 6000 PTLW teachers and 60,000 students, as well as 2500 students in Indiana’s NASA IGNITE STEM program

AstroEngineer can now be purchased and downloaded from: http://space.wisdomtools.com

Let’s Play!

InstallationWhen you get your drive, insert it into your USB

port

Select which version you want to install (MAC or PC) and drag the file to your desktop. PLEASE NOTE: You cannot run it from the drive!

Double click to unzip (if needed), and have fun!

Questions?Contact us!

http://www.wisdomtools.com

Adrienne Evans FernandezLead Content and

Curriculum Game Designeradrienne@wisdomtools.com

Jamie KirkleyChief Learning Officer,

Senior Instructional Designerjamie@wisdomtools.com

AeroEngineer: Race to Mars

Serious game with five game modules and week-long curriculum unit designed to interest and teach high school students (10th - 12th grade), particularly females, about core aerospace engineering concepts