A major challenge in G4li game development is building the bridge between a fun game and an educational game. This Youtube clip suggests “Tangential Learning” as an approach to the problem. It aims to “enable learning” rather than trying to ‘educate’.
From Tangential Learning
Educational versus fun…
November 12th, 2009
Game of the Day for Friday 6 November, 2009- FactorReactor
November 6th, 2009
Hiho.
Today’s Game of the Day is very exciting for a couple of reasons. First off, it’s quite a fun game and addictive game. It is also the first game the Games for Learning Institute (g4li) will be taking into schools for play testing—that is, it’s the first game we are play testing that we have developed, as opposed to those games we have been play testing which are commercial releases. Check back early next week for a short description of the experience. The play testing will commence later today (around three thirty I believe) at a NYC area public school. In honor of this being the first of our games to be play tested with actual middle school students, FactorReactor is also our featured game of the week.
NYU CREATE releases Molecules & Minds final report
November 2nd, 2009
The NYU CREATE Consortium for Research and Evaluation of Advanced Technologies in Education today released the final report for the IES funded 2005-2009 research grant Molecules & Minds: Optimizing Simulations for Chemistry Education. The research study, directed by Jan L. Plass (PI) and Bruce Homer, Catherine Milne, and Trace Jordan (Co-PIs) investigated design factors for effective simulations for high school chemistry education. Six simulations developed by the grant and curricular materials are available on the Molecules & Minds Web Site.
Talk by Marcia Linn
October 28th, 2009
Teaching Science With Technology
Marcia C. Linn, UC Berkeley
Space is limited: RSVP via email to linn-talk @ tophe.net; RSVP required for non NYU visitors.
Abstract
Teaching with technology offers phenomenal advantages for teachers and students. Teachers can take advantage of the rich information about student progress available in embedded assessments when using technology-enhanced instruction. Our recent research compares two approaches to professional development. The Technology Enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) center implemented a targeted approach where teachers request the professional development support they need. These teachers generally requested help with technology in the first year, help using visualizations in the second year, and help with inquiry teaching in the third year. The Mentored and Online Development of Educational Leaders in Science (MODELS) project implemented a mentored approach where an on-site mentor coordinated school-wide planning, teachers reflected on student learning data, and teachers participated in a summer workshop to customize instruction. Analysis of results suggests that inquiry experience, collaboration with other teachers, and opportunity to customize can lead to changes in teacher practice that impact student learning. These studies also illustrate the importance of support from the school principal. They suggest directions for design of tools to support teachers for classroom management and communications with students.
Speaker Biography:
Marcia C. Linn is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, and the Association for Psych-ological Science. She has served as Chair of the AAAS Education Section and as President of the International Society of the Learning Sciences. Her books include Computers, Teachers, Peers; Internet Environments for Science Education; and Designing Coherent Science Education. Her awards include the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Award for Lifelong Distinguished Contributions to Science Education and the Council of Scientific Society Presidents first award for Excellence in Educational Research.
The talk will be held at
Pless Hall, 5th Floor
82 Washington Square East (enter on Washington Place)
Sponsored by the Program in Educational Communications and Technology at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development
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G4LI PI Plass to present at NRC workshop on Computer Games, Simulations, and Education
October 9th, 2009
On October 6, 2009 PI Plass will present his research findings to the National Research Council’s (NRC) Board on Science Education’s Committee on Learning Science: Computer Games, Simulations, and Education . More…
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Design factors for educationally effective animations and simulations
October 9th, 2009
Jan L. Plass • Bruce D. Homer • Elizabeth O. Hayward
This paper reviews research on learning from dynamic visual representations and offers principles for the design of animations and simulations that assure their educational effectiveness. In addition to established principles, new and revised design principle are presented that have been derived from recent research. Our review focuses on the visual design and interaction design of these visualizations and presents existing research as well as questions for future inquiry. More…
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