Comments on: Monument games

By: mhickey

mhickey — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:24:03 +0000

Hello Ben,�
Thank you for your comment. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in Epistemic Games. As Cynthia has noted, we have not yet used the games with students that young. However, a discussion about what sort of changes would need to be made in order to work with students in that age group is an interesting opportunity.

If you are looking for more information about using Epistemic Games with younger students, you may be interesting in looking at this lecture David Williamson Shaffer http://gcpsx.coeps.drexel.edu/videos/dgvs_ep3public/ gave regarding different age groups and the games, and how teachers assess learning during Epistemic Games. You can also view this post about STEM in elementary schools http://epistemicgames.org/eg/steminelementaryschools/.

By: mhickey

mhickey — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:23:23 +0000

Hello Skip,�
Thank you for your question. We appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in Epistemic Games. Our games are designed primarily for research purposes and experimentation with learning in the digital age. They are not yet ready for commercial use. Implementation of these games in certain setting can be difficult and costly given the necessary equipment, training and personnel.

However, if you are interested discussing the opportunity of using Land Science in your classroom please contact Anjali Sridharan anjali.sridharan@gmail.com.

By: Ben Konrad

Ben Konrad — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:36:56 +0000

I also teach this age range. I am interested in your programs and any discussion on how they might be adapted for elementary level students.

By: Skip Walter

Skip Walter — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:00:38 +0000

Hi,
I’m a 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher that is extremely interested in the epistemic game Land Science. For the past seven years I have been teaching a unit on urban planning and development and have always felt that a game or simulation such as yours would be the ideal culminating project for my students. I am currently on sabbatical but would love to integrate Land Science into my social studies curriculum for the 2012-2013 school year. Please let me know if this is a possibility. If not, do you have any recommendations on a next best option. This is very exciting work and I know that there are a lot of teachers out there who would love to use games such as these in their classrooms. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
Skip Walter

By: David Williamson Shaffer

David Williamson Shaffer — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:10:03 +0000

We agree, and are working on both of those points even now.

By: Gourde

Gourde — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:54:58 +0000

Well, hope that these new games for a new era will be distributed and available soon.
Partnership with private sector must be sought and developed!

By: James Gambrell

James Gambrell — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:51:28 +0000

I love and support what you guys are doing, but I’m skeptical of the influence publications, presentations, “monument” games, etc. can really have on the future of games in education. The proof is in the pudding. One truly successful educational game, available for purchase and played by millions of kids, is worth 1,000 publications.

By: Cynthia D'Angelo

Cynthia D'Angelo — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:43:09 +0000

Hi Debra,
Thanks for your interest in our project.
I would be happy to talk to you more about opportunities to collaborate and use our games with your students. If you could send me an email at cmdangelo@wisc.edu we can chat further about the possibilities.
Looking forward to hearing from you!

Cynthia D’Angelo, Ph.D.
Post doc

By: Debra Fisher

Debra Fisher — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:28:52 +0000

Hi, it’s so encouraging to see this leap forward in education actually gaining momentum – and yet so frustrating. I’m a teacher in the UK, working in the main with those young people who have ‘failed’ in the current education system, but I believe it is the education system which has failed them. There is, I believe, a different and more innovative path education can take – learning through gaming being one of them.
I run gaming sessions with whatever programmes I can get my hands on (usually free off the internet as I have zero budget for such ‘non educational’ activities). I find it so encouraging that games are being developed to accommodate such forward thinking and yet so frustrating as I can’t get my hands on them!
I know it’s a long shot, but if there’s anyway my learners could take part in your research, then it would be great to hear from you.
I’d like to congratulate you for pursuing your ideas, if nothing else, it makes me feel less isolated!

Regards

Debs Fisher

By: David Hatfield

David Hatfield — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:04:58 +0000

Hi Ola,

Thanks for the encouragement! I will be showing some of our web-based GIS tool that is embedded in the Land Science game on Friday and would be happy to discuss it during the presentation if you have questions then. And while Professor Graesser and I will be joining the group remotely, you are welcome to email me with other questions as well. Good luck with the Geo Games work.