ed arcade mobilegames2011-groff

Jennifer Gro!

www.educationarcade.org

Gaming Together to Learn Together:Evolution of Mobile Learning Games

Participatory Simulations

Engage learners in computer mediated simulations

Provide rich learning experiences where technology and social interaction are key

Use relatively simple and cheap technologies (Palms<$100) and IR peer to peer communication

pSims

pSimsLive Long and Prosper (a.k.a. Genetics)

decoding a genome

Sugar and Spice economics-tradingnegotiation, optimizing trade strategies

Big Fish - Little Fishresource management

Virus, Tit-for-Tat, Networks...

Virtual pets with BiologyBirds and !owers

PalmagotchiAnytime, Anywhere

Needs a more ubiquitous platform

UbiquitousGames

UbiqGames

Who? High school students

What? Browser-based casual games

When? Interstitial times

Where? Anywhere, any browser

Why?

UbiqGames

• Engaging, motivating• More frequent contact with material• Place to experiment• Doesn’t take up class time• Experience informs class discussion

Why

UbiqGames

FeaturesMultiplayerSingle PlayerWeb-basedCollaborative

First Game: Weatherlings Pokemon + Weather Prediction

Maintain creatures and battle creatures

UbiqGames

UbiqGames

UbiqGamesUbiqBio

Learning Focus: Mendelian Genetics

UbiqGamesUbiqBio

Learning Focus: mRNA Translation

UbiqGamesUbiqBio

Learning Focus: Evolution

Augmented Reality

Computer simulation on handheld triggered by real

world location

Goal: understand “authentic” science through simulated realistic practices

Combines physical & virtual world contextsEmbeds learners in authentic situationsEngages users in a socially facilitated context

ARAugmented Reality

Outbreak@ MIT

AREnvironmental

Detectives

MITAR

ARMITAR

MITARCSI: Community Science Investigators

Jennifer Gro!jen@learninggamesnetwork.org

@jsgro!

www.educationarcade.org