Recent posts
André Rupp visits Madison
Last month André Rupp, professor at the University of Maryland, visited the Epistemic Games Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Rupp, the Co-PI on the EAGER grant, participated in several discussions regarding the ideas and issues underlying Epistemic Network Analysis, while he was here. One meeting, with David Shaffer and Mike Gleicher, centered on a proposed method for converting adjacency matrices into coordinates in n-dimensional space and comparing them by calculating the distance between them. In effect, this method controls for the number of speech act occurrences by comparing frame shapes, rather than frame sizes. Another benefit of this method is the afforded ability to visualize learning trajectories.
Andre also experienced the joys of several of Wisconsin’s customs and culinary treasures during his stay, including–but not limited to–cheese curds and Old Fashioneds.
Visit to Singapore
I just had the pleasure of visiting colleagues at the Learning Sciences Laboratory at the National Institute of Education in Singapore. There is some really interesting work going on there.
My host was Yam San Chee, who among other projects is working on a game called Statecraft X. The game is built around a Civilization-like simulation model, but the twist is that his team has developed the clever idea of setting one fictional world within another to support the reflection-on-action that turns play in the game into understanding of the world outside the game.
The MacArthur Foundation supports research into computer games and learning
Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning, a blog supported by the MacArthur Foundation, recently posted about the Epistemic Games Group’s new funding from the National Science Foundation…
Games and Learning Research Going to Scale with New Federal Dollars
Posted by Sarah J. • November 6, 2009
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison will develop technology to allow computers to teach complex real-world problem solving, thanks to a large grant from the National Science Foundation..
UW-Madison Journalism student writes about Epistemic Games
Epistemic games rely on the analysis of the authentic practices of professional practica to inform their design. Here is a case where a student engaged in the authentic practices of a Journalism practicum at University of Wisconsin-Madison, includes news about epistemic games in the content created through those practices…
Computer Games in Education
Oct. 22, 2009
by Emily Mawer
A research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will study computer games and learning with federal research grants.
The principal investigator on several of the grants, David Williamson Shaffer, a professor of educational psychology at UW-Madison, said computers games allow students to live in a simulated world where they can face real life problems.
The Epistemography of Journalism 335: Complexity in Developing Journalistic Expertise
Hatfield, David & Shaffer, DW (2010). The epistemography of journalism 335: Complexity in developing journalistic expertise. Paper to be presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Chicago, Illinois.
http://epistemicgames.org/eg/wp-content/uploads/hatfield-ICLS2010-review.pdf
The Epistemography of Urban and Regional Planning
Bagley, Elizabeth & Shaffer, DW (2010). The epistemography of urban and regional planning 912: Appropriation in the face of resistance. Paper to be presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Chicago, Illinois.
Mentor modeling: The internalization of modeled professional thinking in an epistemic game
Nash, Padraig & Shaffer, DW (2010). Mentor modeling: The internalization of modeled professional thinking in an epistemic game. Paper to be presented at the International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS), Chicago, Illinois.
http://epistemicgames.org/eg/wp-content/uploads/ICLS2010_pnash_submission_final.pdf
On applications
So, it is one of my favorite times of the academic year: When prospective students start getting in touch with me about applying to our program. UW’s Learning Science program is really outstanding (in my opinion, of course!), so I always feel good about recommending that people apply.
My other best piece of generic piece of application advice is:
No matter where someone is thinking about applying, it is a good idea to get in touch with the current graduate students of professors they are interested in working with. You get a much better sense of the program that way, and can (if nothing else) target your application essay better.
What prompted this post, though, was a realization I had as I’ve been talking with prospective applicants this fall. With all the new projects we’ve started up, our work is getting more and more technical and mathematical.
I don’t think that’s really a good thing or a bad thing, just a consequence of moving to work at larger scales. But perhaps a shift worth noting.
On teaching
I recently had occasion to write a few paragraphs reflecting on my approach to teaching–by which I mean, in this case, my own teaching that I do as a professor rather than the teaching I study more formally as an academic.
I thought I’d share a some of those thoughts for those who might be interested….
New Grant: NUE: A Nanotechnology Certificate Program for Engineering Undergraduates
Nanotechnology is an area of growing interest among the scientific community in the United States. With powerful applications in the worlds of both biology and electronics, this will be an important area of research in the 21st century. In order to help create engineers to fill this new demand, the Epistemic Games Group and the University of Wisconsin-Madison will collaborate to create a Nanotechnology Certificate for undergraduates. This certificate will offer formal training in nanoscale science, engineering and technology (NSET) to students at the B.S. level and provide formal acknowledgment of this training.
New material concerning nanotechnology and the societal implications thereof will be introduced into several pre-existing courses, and two new courses will be created dedicated solely to them. The Epistemic Games Group will work with co-investigators in the College of Engineering to develop the game Nephrotex: The Dialysis Redesign Project, which will be a core component of one of the new nanotechnology courses.
The Principal Investigator and Co-PI on this grant are Dr. Wendy Crone, Dr. Naomi Chesler, Dr. Kristyn Masters, Dr. David Shaffer, and Dr. Kevin Turner. The grant, for $199,961, will begin on January 1, 2010 through the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Education and Centers Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education unit. The summary of the grant proposal can be viewed here.
The Epistemic Games Group
The Epistemic Games Group is made up of researchers, educators, and game designers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
If you’re interested in building and studying epistemic games and the future of education, find out more about who we are, and what we do. We’re always interested in talking with potential collaborators and new epistemic gamers….
