Recent posts for Featured
Las Vegas school utilizing educational video games
The Anderson Dawson School in Las Vegas has begun using a multiplayer computer game to teach middle school students engineering and technology concepts, a method that the school is finding is more engaging for students.
The game the students played is similar to Land Science, where middle schoolers become urban designers, and Nephtorex, where undergraduate engineers role-play as professional engineers-in-training.
In the game played by the students at the Anderson Dawson School the player is stranded in Alaska and much build a shelter in order to prevent contracting hypothermia.
Students must pass 10 levels in the game, levels that teach concepts such as the volume and surface area of geometric shapes, conductive heat flow, structural design and more. The overall goal of the program is to help students understand the heat equation, which is the transfer of heat in a given space over time.
Jonathan Walton, one of the students that has been participating in the program said that he has really enjoyed the class, and that’s it has been one of his favorites this year.
“We’re not just sitting in a classroom and taking tests,” Jonathan said. “We learned engineering principles on the computer, and we’re using that experience.”
“It’s just really fun.”
For more information read the full article from the Las Vegas Review Journal about the program at the Anderson Dawson School.
(Photo courtesy of Jeff Mosier/Las Vegas Review Journal)
Padraig Nash lecture on distributed mentorship
Padraig Nash recently did an EdLab Seminar titled “Distributed Mentoring: Scaffolding Learning in Educational Video Games” where he discussed his research and findings about the concept of distributed mentorship, how it relates to the learning experience and, in turn, how that learning experience can be translated to video games.
Watch the full video of Nash’s EdLab talk here.
David Williamson Shaffer Presents “The University of Play” at the Partners in Learning Conference in Lyon
David Williamson Shaffer has been invited to speak at the Microsoft Education France: Partners in Learning Conference on Monday, April16th in Lyon, France. This conference gathers hundreds of the world’s experts in technology and education in conjuncture with the CIUEN conference at Lyon University to discuss the future of the education in the digital age.
Shaffer will be presenting his work with Epistemic Games in a presentation titled The University of Play.
“Technology, economics, and population growth have created a global economy. As a result, schools and universities in developed nations need to train graduates for creative thinking, collaboration, and complex problem solving. Is the current system the right way to prepare young people for life in this new world? This session looks at how the technologie of the digital age change old ideas about thinking, learning, and expertise–and at how these same technologies provide the tools to teach and to assess complex thinking through well-designed computer games.”
Game Update April 2012:
Land Science will have another run this semester. Ten high school students in Massachusetts will be spending their April vacation week at Mass Audubon playing Land Science starting April 17th. It’s been a busy semester for Land Science, and the Epistemic Games Group is excited to continue introducing new students to STEM through epistemic gaming.
Position Openings
Epistemic Games Group has released undergraduate, graduate and professional position openings.
Epistemic Games Group, located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus, is a fast paced, educational work environment where our passion for education and innovation are not only a top priority; they are evident in everything we do.
Position openings:
Undergraduate:
R programmer
Social Media and Communications Representative
Graduate:
Web Design with Graphic Design Emphasis
Professional:
For more information contact Epistemic Games Director of Programs and Partnerships
