LEEF Blog

Immerology: The Biology of Games and Simulations

Andy Petroski is a co-coordinator of LEEF and Director and Assistant Professor of Learning Technologies at Harrisburg University.

As games and simulations become a part of our everyday lives, it benefits us to consider how these immersive environments are evolving and what impact the evolution has on our learning, behavior and disposition toward them.  Games and simulations have become part of our ecosystem.  Once relegated to entertainment or typically large scale learning implementations (i.e. flight simulator) serious games and simulations are also now a part of health information, marketing, training, information systems, education, social change, events and many other aspects of our lives.

From dictionary.com, Biology is “the study of living organisms, including their structure, functioning, evolution, distribution, and interrelationships; the structure, functioning, etc, of a particular organism or group of organisms.”  From Wikipedia, “Biology is the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.” 

As we begin planning for the Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum (LEEF) 2012 we propose a consideration of games and simulations as living organisms.  And we propose terming “Immerology” as the study of immersive forms of learning, such as games and sims, including their structure, function, evolution, distribution, interrelationships, growth and taxonomy.  These game and simulation elements have changed, some quite drastically, over the past decade.  How will serious games and simulations continue to evolve and what unique impacts will they have on our relationships with products, providers, learning opportunities, companies and each other?  This is what we hope to explore during LEEF 2012 through keynotes, case studies, workshops, presentations and the discussions before, during and after the event.

Biology has some central tenets that form the basis of the science.  We propose a similar set of tenets for Immerology, some of which we can adapt directly from Biology.

Do you think the evolution of serious games and simulations warrants a scientific branch?  How have you seen the impact of games and simulations evolve?  Do you have any suggestions for the tenets of Immerology?

Immerologists unite and join us at LEEF 2012 on May 3, 4!

Join us at the Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum on May 3-4, 2012 to explore the biology of games adn simulation. “LEEF is an interactive professional development event that explores the use of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning.  Go to www.goleef.com to learn more about the event!

Learning with VirtuSphere

Andy Petroski and I had the privilege of presenting our work with the Virtusphere in the ‘Emerging Tech’ area at DevLearn’s Expo last week in Las Vegas.  Many of you got a chance to see the VirtuSphere as a High Tech Demo at LEEF 2009, and then again as a featured product at LEEF 2010. The DevLearn event gave us a chance to take our demonstration of the Virtusphere to a new level as we highlighted our first steps in developing learning scenarios for the locomotion device with an office walk through.

Our focus with the Virtusphere has been on skills that require locomotion and determining the benefits of the sphere, and physical activity, in the training of those skills.  There has been some research already done on the connection between exercise and increased brain activity.  We hope to apply and expand that research into specific learning solutions with our Virtusphere work.  In our talk on the ‘Emerging Tech’ stage, Andy presented some insights learned from the Frankline Institute’s ”Physical Exercise for a Better Brain” article. Here are a few take-always:

Light exercise is good for your brain. it increases blood circulation and the oxygen and glucose that reach your brain. Studies show that in response to exercise, cerebral blood vessels can grow, even in middle-aged sedentary animals.

Dopamine and other chemical neurotransmitters are activated during exercise to regulate muscle movement. Activation of these chemicals also increases brain activity.

Studies of senior citizens who walk regularly showed significant improvement in memory skills compared to sedentary elderly people. Walking also improved their learning ability, concentration, and abstract reasoning.

With this research as a starting point, we’re investigating the VirtuSphere as a training tool that promotes physical activity during learning. Below are the areas we’re investigating and the associated projects we’re undertaking:

• Inner Space: Plasma Racer – built with anatomy students in mind, this first-person racing game put users in command of their own nano-mech suit. Players race through the human body on a life saving mission to the heart. Along the way, they must identify various arteries, veins, and life threatening anomalies.
• Outer Space
• Environmental Analysis: Claims Adjuster Training. This assessment tools would be used to improve the current training process for insurance claims adjusters/investigators. Once inside the VirtuSphere, a student would have to examine and appraise dynamically damaged in a virtual environmental. The advantage with this tool, is that students could run through countless scenarios in preparation for a state exam.
• Location Tours (History): The Battle of Gettysburg – working with digital models created by a local developer, this experience puts the user right in the heart of Pickett’s charge with a firsthand view of the Civil War’s turning point. This project will also include interactive waypoints which provide commentary and insight for the user.
• Architectural Walk Through
• Data Analysis / Manipulation
• Final Stage of Psychotherapy

Our presence at DevLearn was well received by the organizers and attendees. It was great to get feedback from the 40+ guests who climbed in and took the sphere for a spin and the 75+ that stopped by to talk with us about this unique technology.  Thank you all for your discussions about soldier training, solar panel installation, mine and plant safety, law enforcement training, engine walk throughs and many more innovative ways in which the Virtusphere could be used as a learning solution.

Attending the Federal Consortium on Virtual Worlds Conference 2011

Last year I attended this conference virtually, which while less expensive, was like peering into a fishbowl and knocking on the glass (sending tweets for questions and offering comments) and attending via Second Life like sitting in the balcony seats with the cool kids, exchanging clever remarks. This event was hosted at the National Defense University which has a nice new modern building with a great auditorium (hey, this is where President Obama spoke when he explained to the public our strategy for bombing Libya) and presentation spaces, and put together by Dr. Paullete Robinson and her staff and colleagues. This cluster of buildings evokes the feeling of a US military academy (which it is similar to, except this is a like a graduate school for senior military and other related government officials etc.)

This year I had the honor and pleasure of attending in person (yes, can you imagine me, a proponent of virtual worlds- real human contact) conducting a workshop with my colleague, Dr. Anders Gronstedt and appearing  on two panels. You can watch my participation on this panel and some of the other keynotes at

http://www.ndu.edu/iCollege/fcvw/agendaD1.html

Mine is the one at the bottom: Virtual Worlds in Government: State and Federal Perspectives

and the other http://www.ndu.edu/iCollege/fcvw/agendaD2.html

Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge Artificial Intelligence Finalists – Technical Discussion also at the bottom, my avatar is Kazimir Malevich if you can catch me on the screen, although my name does appear there.

Note: there were some technical issues during this presentation, but, hey, what can you expect when you are on the bleeding edge of technology with so many firewalls.

One realization I came to during this conference is that I find that one of my greatest challenges on the job is finding time to play video games. So my recommendation to the kids out there is: play as many as you can before you get into the “real world” as you may not have time later.

The other one that came to mind was that our products (the course, exercises, tools, plans etc.) always have to be thought of in the Beta testing state of Continuous Improvement. This means we need to think about the development of our services and products in Beta stage with Gamma level quality delivery (i.e. always meets the expected needs, not a Beta product that does not function properly) and looking at how we can enhance them.

Some folks in the US Government are doing some highly creative work in virtual worlds (VWs). See some of the work of Eric Hackathorn at http://government.guildportal.com. Who would have thought of a government guild in World of Warcraft?! Then there is the highly engaging work done by NASA’s Dr. Daniel Laughlin who has developed in conjunction with Virtual Heroes the space mission simulation Moonbase Alpha which you can find at the following link http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/ltp/games/moonbasealpha/index.html

This has an Educator Guide as grade school teachers have been using this for teaching students about outer space exploration. They now have a follow on space simulation that will feature a mission to mars see http://www.virtualheroes.com/NewsImages/Roddenberry_NASA_MMO_Game.pdf

The future is already here, it is just unevenly distributed.- William Gibson

David Smith, Chief Innovation Officer for Lockheed Martin, has been involved in VWs since their start and has developed some of the larger platforms, establishing Teleplace, among other accomplishments. He points out that we are only at an early stages in our incorporation of virtual worlds, virtual reality, apps, and other newer technologies.

The computer is an instrument whose music is ideas -Alan Kay

David Smith sees us wearing computer technology and integrating that increasingly more seamlessly into our lives. Just think of a GPS device, Facebook, or Twitter and their use in everyday life. He said that augmented reality will light up a room the way a light bulb will, and he is right. Look at Google or Bing maps, and how we use them to find a restaurant or other local services. Now think of a smartphone with an external facing camera, just point and look with an app like Layar and your get an image on your 3D visual that can point out a number of different pieces of useful data.

He did show us some nifty sites, like Google Body 3D, http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com. Where was this when I was taking high school biology?!

Chris Moore, CIO of City of Edmonton

Need I write more when this fellow has a desk-less office, has not printed out anything on paper in over two years (this is hardcore eco-friendly behavior to admire), and, more importantly, has developed a Second Life site for the City of Edmonton, see http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/news/welcome-to-virtual-edmonton.aspx

and http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Edmonton%201/55/17/57.

They are using it for a range of outreach, tourism, culture, civic engagement. Some very forward thinking he is pushing a concept called Workspace Edmonton allowing any device, anywhere, anytime to access City data, whether that is a Government employee or Citizen, this means all platforms, Android/Ipod/Browser etc., creating total access (restricted of course for sensitive work and data) and freedom of choice.. This is brilliant.

Mandy Salomon, Sr. Researcher, Swinburne University, Australia

Mandy told us about a very ambitious project by the Australian Government to roll out fiber optic networks to every house, building etc. within 9 years in Australia; it will carry 100 mbs. The Gov’t has bought out Telstra and is undertaking this infrastructure itself. Universal access and universal speed., creating a national  broadband network.

Here are some other great VW uses that were presented, some that may be familiar….

Claus Nemzhov’s 3d Avatar School. This school started with mandarin Chinese. They created a role play in Chinese with the scenario of crime scene. Students then need to act out in court. In other cases, students need to come up with excuses for why they don’t do the laundry using the objects that they are
given, using their Chinese language skills for practice with native speakers in the VW.

MK Haley, Carnegie Mellon (while not entierly VW related) Wii is a cross cultural, cross generational game box. She talked about the the Marshmellow Challenge- Analogue way to explore how VWs can be useful for team learning and development. See www.Marshmallowchallenge.com

There was a presentation An Ecosystem Approach to Designing in VWS Reusing code, reusing simulations, with a way to standardize the way SMEs translate what they know into VWs.

Dr. Chris Dede from Harvard spoke about work they did with VW platforms teaching grade school kids ecosystems. He highlighted some of the Core Challenges We Face for teaching:

• Shifts in the knowledge and skills society values
• Development of new methods of teaching and learning
• Changes in the characteristics of learners

Emerging IT is reshaping each of these and changing how we learn and know. Key questions:

• How do people learn?
• What are we learning?
• What methods do we have to learn?

Collaborative Problem resolution via Mediated Interaction, i.e. team based problem solving:

• Problem finding before problem solving
• Comprehensions by a Team, not an individual
• Making meaning out of complexity:

Some of the other points he made:

• Situated learning and transfer.
• Constellations of architectural, social, organizational and materials vectors that aid in learning culturally based practices.
• Apprenticeship (the process of moving from novice to expert within a given set of practices) will come back into play in specific professions (think fellows/graduate based meaningful internships).
• Wireless mobile devices offer substantial power at a fraction of the cost of laptops and with greater mobility.
• Entertainment and learning are infused anywhere
• One to one person to device ratio becomes affordable in education

They are aiming for an educational data-plans for $15/month/per user with Eco MUVE with Ecomobile, cloud computing.  From the Institute for Education Sciences US Dept. of Education http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010.  Intel, MS, and Cisco have begun an initiative to identify 21 century digital intelligence skills.

Naval Underseas Warefare Center (NUWC)

Design is not a single model but a process about how you got there.

Phillip Monte, NUWC. They collaborate through Virginia Block IV attack center. His unit is looking at VWs for command and control (C2) in  a visualized concept of  operations:

• Audio Flow
• Visual Flow
• Control Flow
• Data Flow

TANGO- VW Virtual Operation Center; able to provide a knowledgeable assistant. Intelligent Agents can replace the real agent. Create a whole record of an entire meeting.

The Future Beyond- Personal Next Steps

After this conference, some of the areas I am currently looking at exploring and possibly implementing are:

•  a capabilities assessment of virtual worlds. My friends at Daden Ltd. in the UK have developed a world finder that is a selection tool with a small number of virtual world (VW) platforms. You can find it here http://www.daden.co.uk/pages/virtual_world_finder.html
• Looking at how we might apply NUWC C2 VW designs in an emergency operations center (EOC) to facilitate the common operation picture and united action.
• Applying what we do to mobile apps, in particular single person drills to cover those individual knowledge and performance based training modules.
• Mobile apps for field guides: information that is just-in-time for work  in the field of operation.
• Further analyzing teamwork and learning vs. the individual in our own VW based training (see SL Hurricane Shelter Training Course).
• Looking at the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bots to mimic certain behaviors in disaster scenarios and to create injects for responders to address.
• Trying to cut down on my own paper use (thanks for the benchmark Chris Moore!)

That is all for now. The adventure continues….

Andrew Boyarsky

Project Director

CUNY School of Professional Studies

aboyarsky@gc.cuny.edu

http://tragedyofthe.commons.gc.cuny.edu/

Guest Blog: Keith Devlin on Math and Video Games

I recently reached out to Keith Devlin, the co-founder and Executive Director of Stanford University’s H-STAR institute, a research center that focuses on the application and innovation of technology for research, education, entertainment, commerce, and other areas of life. Mr. Devlin agreed to contribute a guest blog entry detailing some of the ideas in his recent book, Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video Games as a Medium for Learning. What follows in this post is his entry. I’d like to thank Mr. Devlin for taking the time to write and share his thoughts with us.

There are a fair number of video games available that claim to teach mathematics, many of them free, some for sale. If you include the casual games in the App Store, they number in the hundreds. But it does not require more than a cursory look to see that the vast majority do not teach mathematics at all; rather they provide an opportunity to practice basic math skills that have already been learned. That is a useful contribution to math learning, and if it can be achieved in a fun way without the student becoming discouraged or learning to hate math, then all to the good.

But video games offer far more than that. A good video game is about exploration, (genuine) learning, and problem solving. That makes them an ideal medium for real, conceptual mathematics learning. So why are there so few games that do just that? Part of the reason appears to be that the people designing them do not really understand mathematics education. With the best of intentions, they focus on the most obvious part of mathematics learning, namely mastery of basic number and algebra skills (mostly just the former), and within that highly restricted range they go for the low hanging fruit, such as automatic recall of the basic multiplication bonds (“multiplication tables,” in old terminology).

I suspect that in most cases (and in a few cases know for a fact) the development team did not include either a qualified, classroom-experienced mathematics educator, nor a mathematician. From a math ed perspective, that is like setting out to build a house by assembling a group of bricklayers and carpenters, but not thinking to hire an architect. Basic math skills are the bricks you need to build the mathematical house. But what today’s society needs (in numbers far larger than our schools are currently supplying) are mathematical architects – people who can think mathematically. Video games can help develop mathematical thinking, but they are a lot more difficult to design than a simple skills-tester.

Examples of such games are those by Dreambox Learning and Mind Research Institute. Both of those products are aimed at fairly young children. When you look at middle school and upwards, you have to look outside mathematics to find a really good example of a video game that develops sophisticated thinking – namely the wonderful game Portal, a game sold as an entertainment game, as it happens, not developed for the education market.

The first thing you need to do when setting out to design a math ed video game – and this is something that hardly any math ed game designers appear to have done – is decide on your underlying pedagogy.

In broad terms, there are two approaches to mathematics teaching and learning: instructional and discovery. In the former, instruction and demonstration are typically provided by a teacher, a textbook, a video, or an instructional computer program. After which the student attempts to answer questions and solve problems. With discovery learning, the student is presented with a series of questions or challenges that guide a process of discovery. Though these are sometimes viewed as being in opposition, they need not be, and in fact good teachers use a combination of both, most commonly adopting a global discovery approach supported by on-demand instruction when the student is unable to move ahead.

While teachers can, and in many cases do, use elements of both pedagogic approaches as they think appropriate, educational media tend to be suited to one or the other. Traditional textbooks and educational videos (such as Kahn Academy) are essentially instructional media. They have to be, since they are unidirectional — pure delivery media that cannot react to the student’s actions. Educational computer programs can, of course, respond to the student’s actions, which offers some degree for discovery, but only to the extent that the student acts in a way that the programmer has anticipated and has scripted an appropriate response. Of course, there is nothing to stop a teacher using textbooks, videos, and computer programs as resources for discovery learning, and many do just that.

With video games, however, things are clear cut. By their very nature, they are all about exploration, discovery, and student-driven (i.e., player-driven) problem solving. This does not preclude instruction being given within the game, but unless it is done well, it can destroy the very game in which it occurs. The exploratory learning approach is where we should be directing our efforts. Having worked for almost five years on a stealth, math ed project in a large commercial video game company, taking the inquiry-based learning approach, I learned two things. One: it is definitely possible to design and build quality video games that are fun to play and help develop genuine mathematical reasoning skills. Two: it is extremely labor intensive and time consuming – hence expensive, which is why the project I worked on was cancelled before we had a releasable product.

On the other hand, we set out to build a game that (in its initial release) covered the entire mathematics curriculum at a particular grade level (with other grade levels to follow). With hindsight, we bit off far more than we could chew. We came away knowing that in these early days of designing quality math ed video games, it makes sense to do it piecewise, one curriculum topic at a time. Along with some colleagues from that project, I am now trying to do just that.

In my recent book Mathematics Education for a New Era: Video Games as a Medium for Learning, I discuss many of the fundamental educational issues that should be addressed if we are to take full advantage of the huge educational potential of video games. Though I do talk a bit about game design issues, most of my focus is on pedagogy. For one thing I am convinced of, after eight years thinking about these issues, is that it is not enough to simply combine traditional instructional pedagogy with video game technology. You have to design your pedagogy around the medium. Video games are not going to deliver much of a benefit if we view them as simply supplementary add-ons to the educational system we already have. They offer such great potential, we have to rethink the entire educational process.

Keith Devlin, Stanford University.

Call for Teachers to evaluate Immune Attack

Immune Attack is a 3rd person shooter inside a human body. Players navigate a nanobot through a 3D environment of blood vessels and connective tissue in an attempt to save an ailing patient by retraining her non-functional immune cells. Along the way, students learn about the biological processes that enable macrophages and neutrophils – white blood cells – to detect and fight infections.

Dr. Melanie Stegman, a LEEF 2011 presenter, and the Federation of American Scientists are estatic that their preliminary evaluation of Immune Attack in classrooms across America have returned promising results!! Students are learning basic principles of cell and molecular biology just by playing.

Evaluate Immune Attack 2011. We need YOU!

To participate, please register at www.fas.org/immuneattack.  The evaluation requires three 40-minute periods in a computer lab.  You will need students and parents to sign consent forms.  Your students will play Immune Attack or a control game once in week one and once in week two.  Then your students will take an online survey in week two.  Immune Attack works on any PC, with any versions of Windows (XP, Vista, and 7).  Immune Attack does not work on the Macintosh operating system.

Data shows that students are learning the basic principles of cell biology and immunology.  We need to increase our numbers to answer some important questions, such as, so non-gamer also learn from Immune Attack, or are they put off by the need to learn to fly a microbot. (So far they are not.)  Students like playing Immune Attack because it feels like a real video game, involves flying and shows real details of cells and proteins inside the body.

We need some younger students, 5th-6th grades as well.  (We still want 7-12th graders, too!)  We have found that 7th grade students are learning similarly to 12th graders.  We know that 5th and 6th grade students enjoy playing Immune Attack, so we want to know whether the game teaches them anything.  Please help out!

Questions?

Audio Interview: Nathan Verrill

Nathan Verrill, co-Founder of Natron Baxter Applied Gaming & Gameful, will present the opening Keynote of LEEF2011. His talk “Fun is not the Enemy of Work”, will introduce learning leaders and game developers to the emerging trend of Gamification. Click here for the full interview from Nathan Verrill on “Fun is Not the Enemy of Work”

Audio Interview: Michael Macedonia

Most learning technologies focus on using visual information to deliver content. But immersive technologies address all of the senses; visual, haptic, auditory, and sometime the olfactory. These technologies are used to construct environments which provide alternative methods for receiving and imparting information to your audience. Click here for the full interview from Michael Macedonia on “Immersive Education and Training”.

Recent News on Serious Games and Gamification

You don’t have to look far for articles and reports about the adoption and effectiveness of Serious Games. Here are some recent pieces you might have missed and may find interesting.  Please add comments to share other resources.

From the Harvard Business Review, Business Week and Fast Company, to independent bloggers and professional associations, there’s a lot of news being generated about the use of serious games.  Here to stay and growing among companies large and small, serious games present exciting results for training and development leaders.  Here’s a run-down of some articles that may support your research and evaluation.

The CEO Guide to Business Gamification, Bloomberg BusinessWeek.  This is a special report including several features like, ”The Games Companies Play,” and a podcast titled: “Is Gamification Serious Business?”

 Learn how companies including Siemens, SAP, Nissan and Mattel are using game technology to improve how they train workers and design and market products. The gamification market may surge to $1.6 billion in 2015 from $100 million this year.  Read more here.  Read the rest of this entry »

“I’ve just recently heard about LEEF…” “What makes this forum different than other events?”

If you’ve just recently come across information on LEEF —The Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum— here’s a quick summary of the program coming up June 16-17 at Harrisburg University. It’s led by Andy Petroski & Charles Palmer, with help from industry advisors, as a professional development event extending from the University’s graduate program in Learning Technologies and the Center for Advanced Entertainment & Learning Technologies.

The Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum (LEEF) brings together learning professionals and game designers and developers to explore the evolving use of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning and performance.  In its third year, the event is unique because it is small, experiential, social and affordable. LEEF has nationally recognized speakers (IBM, SAIC, The Future Work Lab, etc) and is refreshingly cutting edge, while still being practical and applied.  Attending the forum is a great way to become introduced to, or advance the use of serious games for learning and performance.  This year’s focus includes an introduction to the concept of gamification and how it will change the nature of learning and work itself.

LEEF is:

• An intimate venue for hands-on exploration of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning
• A collection of 12 in-depth case studies, 3 keynotes and 1 great networking reception
• Host to 12 interactive workshops on design, development and implementation
• Exploring gamification and how games impact our experience at work
• Where veterans and newbies explore the frontiers of serious games and eLearning innovations
• An event that is easy to navigate, applies experiential learning  and allows you to make meaningful contacts.

 To learn more about the Keynote Speakers, Case Studies and the rest of the agenda, visit the Program page for LEEF.

Scroll through the LEEF Blog to learn more about the topics that will be explored at LEEF, including Gamification, (earlier blog on Gamification), the Evolution of Learning Games, principles of adult learning and game design,  rapid prototyping, and more.

Discounted Registration Ends April 15

By now, you have probably read the announcements about LEEF on June 16-17, and are well aware of the momentum that is growing for the adoption of games and simulations for learning. Now is a good time to register someone from your organization for LEEF, because:
• Discounted registration ends Friday April 15. You can save $100 by registering now!
• All 12 of the project case studies have been posted online for your review.

The Learning and Entertainment Evolution Forum (LEEF) brings together learning professionals and game designers and developers to explore the use of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning and performance. LEEF is:
• An intimate venue for hands-on exploration of games, simulations and virtual worlds for learning
• Host to 12 interactive workshops on design, development and implementation
• Where veterans and newbies explore the frontiers of serious games and eLearning innovations
• An event that is easy to navigate, applies experiential learning and allows you to make meaningful contacts.