Integrating Web Technology and SimulationGames with K 12

Integrating Web Technology and Simulation-Games with K 12 Lessons in Mathematics and Physical Science Dean L. Zeller Dr. Paul Wang, advisor Department of Computer Science Kent State University Educational Ideas

“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn. ” Albert Einstein (1879 -1955) German/U. S. physicist Educational Ideas 2

“Science can be introduced to children well or poorly. If poorly, children can be turned away from science; they can develop a lifelong antipathy; they will be in a far worse condition than if they had never been introduced to science at all. ” Isaac Asimov (1920 -1992) US science fiction novelist and scholar Educational Ideas 3

Outline • • Experience and background Testing lessons on K 12 students Site. Pal talking characters Simulation Games Educational Ideas 4

Education Experience • My Background • Challenge of Education • Active Learning Lessons Educational Ideas 5

My Background • • Both parents college professors (statistics, early childhood education) 4 years computer science instructor at Bowling Green State University 3 years computer science assistant professor at Park University 2 years mathematics high school teacher at Kansas City Missouri school district • Currently in Computer Science Ph. D program at Kent State University, teaching classes on computer science and educational technology. Educational Ideas 6

Challenge of K 12 Education • High school teaching proved to be very stressful • Inner-city environment • High percentage of behavior problems • Quality control of administration and faculty • Used active learning methods to allow me to deal with discipline Educational Ideas 7

Active Learning • • Polyhedron Models Algorithmic Art Logic Games Critical Thinking Puzzles Educational Ideas 8

Polyhedron Models Educational Ideas 9

Polyhedron Models Educational Ideas 10

Testing Technology • Testing is part of any software development process. • Software developers test programs on actual users. • K 12 educational software, in any form, must be tested on actual teachers and students in a classroom environment. • Improvements must be made for usability, enjoyment, and understandability. • Collect data through: – Observation – Surveys – Program statistics Educational Ideas 11

Site. Pal Talking Characters Educational Ideas 12

Characters Educational Ideas 13

Character Variations Educational Ideas 14

Site. Pal Educational Benefits • Instructions and results can be read out loud to viewers • Helpful for a learning environment where low reading skills are blocking progress in other areas • Multiple inputs (sound, visual, text) aid in learning to read • Give a more personal feel to web pages • Choose own character(s) and can record own voice • Animation quality (1970’s cartoon animations) • Implement for different languages • Artificial intelligence • Roleplaying • Potential to read aloud complex mathematical formulas Educational Ideas 15

Site. Pal Costs Bronze plan $ 9. 95/mo • Silver plan $19. 95/mo (more characters) • Gold plan $49. 95/mo (artificial intelligence) • Gold-Educ plan $349. 65/yr (30% discount) Alternatives? • Open source • Alice • In-house program Educational Ideas 16

Caveats • Not a “silver bullet. ” • Underlying lessons and instructions must still be taken seriously. • A poorly designed lesson with talking characters will still be poorly designed. • Be a integral part of lesson and material, not just “thrown in” • Not a replacement for a human teacher Educational Ideas 17

Eliza Program with Site. Pal • Goal: The student will create an artificial intelligence personality using sentence patterns with multiple responses. • Previously tested Lisp implementation of Eliza program on CS 305 (Artificial Intelligence) class at Park University. • Choose a visual and voice in addition to conversation rules to create personality. • Appropriate for artificial intelligence or psychology classes. Educational Ideas 18

Mad Libs Program with Site. Pal • Goal: The student will create a Mad Lib story to be read aloud by a Site. Pal character. • Currently working on Mad Libs Markup Language proposal for eventual development. Educational Ideas 19

Simulation-Games • Many games are simulations of real world systems – – Grand Theft Auto First person shooters (Doom, Quake, etc…) Warcraft Massive multiplayer virtual reality games • Integration of games into education – Teacher must be knowledgeable and trained in the simulation pedagogical style – Teachers must integrate the simulated aspects of the program into meaningful lessons requiring complex analysis. – Students must take the lesson seriously. It’s not just “game time. ” – Game must be active, but not “too” active. – If the lessons are conducted incorrectly, all the students will learn is how to play games. Educational Ideas 20

Definitions • Simulation: Any training activity designed to reflect reality. • Game: A learning activity governed by rules, entailing a competitive situation, and having winners and losers. • Simulation-game: A reality-based game wherein the participants experience what happens in a real-world system. Educational Ideas 21

Benefits • • Concrete learning objectives Structure provided by the trainer High participant involvement Internal motivation Generation of data Analysis of completed results Allows for student creation of new problems Educational Ideas 22

Why Use Simulation-Games? • • • Experiential learning Heightens participant awareness, interest, and curiosity Fully immersing participants in tasks Provides a degree of reality High motivational value Participation for everyone Emphasizes peer/collaborative learning Learning is rapid Safe atmosphere, permitting the learning of costs, benefits, and effects of decisions without risking costly resources of the real world. • Aids in skill development • “Taps the right brain, ” thereby stimulating the intuitive, creative, emotional, and spontaneous side of participants Educational Ideas 23

Caveats • Simulation games may not work well if the game is not in sync with learning objectives. • Participants may get hooked on winning and may thus overlook learning goals. • Must be constructed so that winners and losers learn equally. • Keep complexity level low – Few objects – Short learning curve – Easy creation of new levels and problems Educational Ideas 24

Examples • Line Rider • Doom Funnel Chasers • Aargon Educational Ideas 25

Line Rider Educational Ideas 26

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Movies Escape from Heaven, by scion Jump Down, by tgrub 1 Educational Ideas 28

Line Rider Lesson • Goal: Create an entertaining arena for the line rider. • Grading criteria: – – Originality Variety of tricks Artistic quality Timing with music • Technical requirements: – Flash – Screen capture utility – Movie editing software • Improvements to program – Speed and direction indicators – Improved interface for editing Educational Ideas 29

Line Rider Lesson • Simulated aspects of the physical world – – – Speed Acceleration Gravity Inertia Impact Wind resistance • Sites – www. official-linerider. com/play. html – www. linerider. org – You. Tube. com (search for line rider) Educational Ideas 30

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 31

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 32

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 33

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 34

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 35

Doom Funnel Chasers Educational Ideas 36

Doom Funnel Chasers Lesson • Goal: Find the angle and initial velocity for the duct tape ball to maximize travel distance (including flag bonuses) and hit the vortex. • Finding the best angle and velocity – – – Eyeball Random shots Tracking results to correct errors Educated predictions Experimentation Educational Ideas 37

Doom Funnel Chasers Lesson • Simulated aspects of physical universe – Gravity – Inertia – Orbits and orbital paths • Technical requirements – Flash • Improvements to program – Better interface for precise measurements – Record previous attempts • Site – www. bigideafun. com/penguins/arcade/doom_funnel/ Educational Ideas 38

Aargon • Goal: Solve a logic puzzle incorporating concepts of reflection, refraction, and prisms. • Logic – Multiple solutions vs. Single solutions – Pilot tested on 9 th grade mathematics students with interesting anecdotal results. Educational Ideas 39

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Aargon Lesson • Simulated aspects of optical science – Reflection – Refraction – Prisms • Creative – Students can create their own boards – Class competitions – Boards must recognize when a board is unsolvable • Sites – www. twilightgames. com/aargondeluxe_info. htm Educational Ideas 43

Other Ideas addictinggames. com – 50 States – Jelly Blocks – Stick Trampoline – Avalanche – Simpsons Wrecking Ball – Territory War – Draw Play – Samurai Defense Educational Ideas bigideafun. com – Spaced Penguin – Light Brigade – Ship Lander sodaplay. com – Soda Straws 44

References The Winning Trainer, by Julius Eitington, © 2002 Educational Ideas 45