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Project Descriptions

On-Line Games for Middle School Science: Planning Grant Proposal for Design and Collaboration-Building

September 10, 2003 - August 31, 2005 | Media and Technology
This 12-month planning grant will create the foundation for a project based on meaningful, online, game-based learning. Specifically, it will enable the proposer to develop and validate story lines and game characters with middle-school aged children in two summer design institutes. In addition, the proposer will build partnerships with museums and informal learning institutions and develop a plan to work with these partners for the dissemination, promotion, use and evaluation of the future games. Intellectual Merit: The project will develop standards-linked design specifications for play scenarios, game characters and real-world, problem-based activities across STEM domains. These design specifications should be of significant value for future educational game development. Children will serve as "informants" during game design, providing input where most effective. This involvement in the planning process is critical to the success of the games, and should ensure the desired "kid appeal." Broader Impact: The strategy of involving advisory groups of children, including those at-risk, will allow the project to factor in ways to engage audiences underrepresented in the sciences by tailoring characters and activities that ensure broad appeal. In addition, the approach of solving puzzle-like problems embedded in a game's story narrative should appeal to both boys and girls. This project will generate a report for publication on the design process and resulting specifications.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0328383
Funding Amount: 49990

TEAM MEMBERS

  • M Kinzie
    Principal Investigator
    University of Virginia
  • Discipline: Engineering | General STEM | Mathematics | Technology
    Audience: Middle School Children (11-13) | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Websites, Mobile Apps, and Online Media | Games, Simulations, and Interactives

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