Using the Wiimote as a Cheap Smart Board

Uber-blogger Will Richards notes that Johnny Chung Lee has devised a nifty hack to take an ordinary Wiimote and turn it into a Smart Board replication device, all for about a hundred bucks.

Although the links to Lee’s pages over at Carnegie Mellon were not working last I looked, the YouTube video where he shows how to do the trick is still up and working on Richards’ site. Some of Richards’ commenters discuss other ways to leverage inexpensive laser technology this way.

In the video, Lee connects the Wiimote to the computer that is being projected, then uses a laser pen to create an instant interactive white board. Besides walls, he demonstrates on a table and a common LCD screen.

Richards attests that educators watching the video get very excited about the possibilities for creating cheap interactive whiteboards on the fly. We’ve seen this appropriation of common videogame hardware for ulterior purposes before, mainly with the military using Xbox controllers to guide robots. These days, gaming hardware is off the shelf compatible with regular computers and software, using standards like USB, and can be repurposed for other things. It will be nice to see more educational uses in the future.

Civ IV Mod Contest Offers Education Category

Thanks to Alan Au for giving a heads up on Ben Sawyer’s Serious Games List about the Firaxis Civilization IV mod contest. Winners get new Dell XPS computers. One of the categories is the best educational mod, and this will bear watching. The contest ends Feb. 18, 2008. More details are here: http://firaxis.com/community/modcontest.php

Study notes lower blood flow to brain while playing videogames

Chalk up another example of journalism by press release concerning a videogame study. The study was released by Chou Yuan-hua (周元華), in the Department of Psychiatry at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan. Studying 30 men, all aged 25 years, lower blood circulation to the head was measured a half hour after playing videogames, with results particularly notable following violent games.

On the surface, the study seems reminiscent of Haier’s work observing lower glucose levels in the brains of Tetris players. However, details of the study have prompted derision and scoffing among gaming aficionados.

Without reading the study, I would speculate blood flow was chosen as an easy to measure marker. It’s hard to say what significance, sociologically or physiologically, can be attributed to the observations, especially since comparisons to blood flow when subjects watched television or engaged in reading were apparently not offered. Negative connotations against videogames would be greatly reduced if questions were asked and answered such as: Does blood flow decrease when any other medium is engaged? Are the results simply a function of amusement? (Note that the word “amuse” literally means to stop thinking. Hmm.) Time will tell, along with a few replicated results in separate additional studies.

References:
Tapei Times. (2007, December 27). Videogames reduce blood flow to the brain: Study. [Online]. Retrieved December 27, 2007 from: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/
2007/12/27/2003394285

America’s Army Tournaments Help Recruiters Target Candidates

Here’s an interesting article out of The Arizona Republic on Uncle Sam’s Army leveraging it’s America’s Army franchise in recruiting efforts. Recall that I included America’s Army in my Top 10 Free Educational Video Games earlier this month. Besides serving as a recruiting tool, the game instills values such as teamwork and cooperation, and gives potential recruits a simulated taste of boot camp.

Article author Dianna M. Náñez indicates the Army is getting creative in its recruitment efforts through local sponsorship of gaming tournaments. Such efforts are an attempt to cut through media-instilled perceptions of military life.

References:
Náñez, D. M. (2007, December 27). Army using video game as recruiting tool. The Arizona Republic. [Online]. Retrieved December 27, 2007 from: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/
1227cr-recruiting1228.html

Dangerous Russian Flirting Software Passes Turing Test; May Have Gaming Applications

Ina Fried over at CNET’s News.com noted that “flirting” software devised by Russian programmers can fool online chatters, and potentially be used to pilfer passwords and other personal data. Could it be the Turing Test has been met for nefarious purposes? This was famously postulated by British mathematician Alan Turing who wrote in 1950 that a machine would have attained apparent sentience if a person did not know he or she were corresponding with a machine (via teletype at the time).

Other efforts have been made in this arena, mainly thanks to the Loebner prize, which is awarded in a contest each year to companies or individuals. The 2007 winner is Robert Medeksza of Zabaware. Zabaware’s Ultra Hal Assistant 6.1 looks particularly interesting for carrying on fake conversations. Here’s a portion of the product description:

Ultra Hal Assistant is an artificial intelligence conversation simulator. It is capable of being your digital secretary and companion. Talk to Hal in natural English language and Hal will speak back to you. Hal has a huge conversational database and will discuss anything. Hal speaks out loud to you in one of many high quality voices and has several 3D animated characters to choose from. Hal will learn from every sentence that you tell it and over time it will learn [to] like the same things you do, and to talk about topics you like to talk about. In addition to being able to chat with you for entertainment purposes, Ultra Hal can also act as a personal information manager (PIM). Hal can remember and remind you of appointments, it can keep an address book, it can keep a phone book, and it can dial phone numbers for you. Hal will also run programs and recent documents on command, and can help you browse the Internet. You can also run your Hal bot on the AOL Instant Messenger network.

Back to the Russian software, which is available only in Russian so far: Those intrepid Russian hackers have perfected the software to such a degree that folks in chat rooms think they’re flirting with a real person, and thus tend to reveal personal info they otherwise wouldn’t. I wonder if human libidos help machines to pass the Turing Test?

Regardless, as “chatterbox software” keeps improving, perhaps we’ll see the day when the technology is adopted in educational games. Imagine a virtual personal assistant (to wit: an NPC in the game) coaching children, guiding them through tight spots with which they have difficulty, and providing a level of companionship and bonhomie.

Play Warcraft to Ease Chronic Pain? Professor Says Games Trump Drugs

In yet another approach to researching videogames, Simon Fraser University professor and founding director of the university’s BioMedia Lab, Diane Gromala, is investigating the role games may play in pain management. In a brief article on Canada.com, Dr. Gromala’s work is profiled. Here is the key paragraph:

Controlled experiments consistently show subjects who are distracted in a fully-immersive virtual reality world, such as a three-dimensional skiing adventure computer game, report less pain than their counterparts using drug-based pain therapy.

Of course, it’s not all fun and games, although it would seem World of Warcraft qualifies as a “fully-immersive virtual reality world.” It seems Dr. Gromala would also include biofeedback and meditation in a regimen for managing chronic pain:

“Controlling pain through computerized VR and biofeedback meditation therapies has the promise of providing successful, cost-effective alternatives to pain medications,” she said.

This is an interesting approach, and one sure to generate some intriguing research.  Just don’t go treating yourself by playing WoW for 8 hours straight.

References:
Canada.com. (2007, December 17). Video games beat drugs for chronic pain. [Online.] Retrieved December 18, 2007 from: http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/games/
story.html?id=4b259ff7-92a5-454a-8449-3e0707b4d0b0&k=77800

Update on GameBrix

Frank Ferguson over at Curriculum Associates tells me the beta for GameBrix, discussed here, is rapidly improving. The tools work. The tutorials are coming along. FAQs are being developed. Plans at the moment are to go live around the Game Developer Conference in February. As it is in open beta, now is a great opportunity to give feedback to the developers for features and toolsets you’d like to see. Personally, I think GameBrix could develop into an excellent resource for teachers and students.

The Top 10 Free Educational Video Games

The main reason for inclusion in the top 10 was the impact a game had on the educational gaming field. Some of these are getting rather long in the tooth as far as games go, yet their impact is still being felt in educational research that was foundational or continues to be published. On the other hand, new titles are coming out all the time and this list may well change in the future.

The criteria for inclusion were simple. The game must be free and preferably available online. Some of the games are modifications of existing games (mostly Neverwinter Nights). So, mods are free but to run them you will need to purchase the original engine. But that’s a minor quibble since they are free if you already own the engine.

I am interested in other titles, so if you have a favorite that is not on the list, drop me an e-mail and let me know about it. Finally, I also included the learning objectives, host URLs, and my comments on the games. So, give these educational games a look-see, and consider using them in a classroom or other formal learning situation. And let me know about it if you do.

 

1. Revolution
Type: Modification of Neverwinter Nights Gold
Learning Objective: Experience historical incentives for the American Revolution from the grassroots level.
Host URL: http://www.educationarcade.org/revolution
Comment: This is the game that started folks talking about seriously using the modifiable Neverwinter Nights engine for educational purposes. Several papers were published on this game, focusing on its interactive means of teaching students about the American Revolution. It was perhaps best introduced to academics in a widely read article by Joel Foreman over at George Mason in the first issue of Innovate.

 

2. Re-Mission
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.re-mission.net/
Learning Objective: Understand cancer better and develop a positive attitude toward defeating it.
Comment: It’s a big download, but well worth the wait. The game from HopeLab is aimed at teaching young cancer patients about the disease and providing opportunities to enhance understanding in a positive environment. It offers the latest in educational videogame design, with backing from a well-funded sponsor. Also available in Spanish and French, and can be ordered for free on CD by mail.

 

3. River City
Type: Multi-user Virtual Environment
Host URL: http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html
Learning Objective: Develop an understanding of the scientific method through inquiry and teamwork, as well as an appreciation for history and environmental issues.
Comment: One of the two big NSF projects for educational gaming on this list, with several years of research following its progress. This Harvard product is freely available to schools, but only on disc through the mail. The team prefers sending it to teachers wishing to use the program in science classes. Chris Dede spearheaded the project.

 

4. Quest Atlantis
Type: Multi-user Virtual Environment
Host URL: http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu
Learning Objective: Help students understand social studies, environmental concerns, current events, and scientific standards.
Comment: Although this Indiana University project offers a guest area where interested parties can explore the Quest Atlantis universe, the NSF-funded project requires teachers contact the team before allowing full access. Several thousand participants have joined QA, and research is ongoing. Sasha Barab spearheaded the project

 

5. Arden
Type: Modification of Neverwinter Nights Diamond
Host URL: http://swi.indiana.edu/arden/index.shtml
Learning Objective: Attain an appreciation of Shakespearean authorship and Elizabethan England.
Comment: As part of the Serious Worlds Initiative over at Indiana University, Arden was initially funded by the MacArthur Foundation. Executive producer is Edward Castronova, whose book Synthetic Worlds covers many of the economic and social issues in MMOs. Castronova has professed that Arden is not very exciting to typical gamers (no monsters to slay). However, the notion of exploring Shakespeare’s world should prove interesting to English majors and other aficionados of the Bard’s work.

 

6. The History Canada Game
Type: Modification of Civilization III
Host URL: http://www.historycanadagame.com/
Learning Objective: Understand social forces surrounding Canadian history since 1534.
Comment: O Canada! Down here south of the border, we hardly know ye! But, an initiative funded by Canada’s National History Society and The Historica Foundation aims to change that, for Canadians as well as those outside her borders.

 

7. America’s Army
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.americasarmy.com
Learning Objectives: Teamwork, and a greater understanding of US military expectations for recruits.
Comment: Critics decry this free videogame as a recruiting tool for the military. The Army shrugs its collective shoulders and says, “So?” Actually, America’s Army has many fans with no military expectations. One Ph.D. candidate I work with is a self-described “America’s Army widow.” Almost 3 gigs for the full version; its free nature ensures many adherents for years to come.

 

8. Food Force
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.food-force.com/
Learning Objectives: Understand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it.
Comment: Classroom materials and instructions are available on-site. Besides English, the UN-backed Food Force is available in (alphabetical order): Chinese, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, and Portuguese.

 

9. Whyville
Type: Instructional Online Virtual World
Host URL: http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice
Learning Objectives: Provide a student-centered, hands-on environment for exploring various school subjects.
Comment: This Numedeon-backed product is aimed at elementary and middle school students, in hopes of encouraging “scientific discovery” and “social responsibility.”

 

10. SimCity
Type: Web-based
Host URL: http://simcity.ea.com/play/simcity_classic.php
Learning Objectives: Understand variable manipulations for urban management while having fun building a simulated city.
Comment: Critics have attacked its oversimplification of urban management, but countless children the world over have learned such truisms as the correlation between higher taxes and a disgruntled populace. Also, if you deplete the fire departments’ budget, disasters will devastate your city! The original SimCity is available online gratis from Electronic Arts, with adverts for the newest version, SimCity 4.

Explore and Learn with Virtual Shakespeare

Sometimes researchers learn more from their mistakes than their successes. Some time back, Edward Castronova over at Indiana announced work on Arden was ending. Castronova’s team used the Neverwinter Nights engine and funding from the MacArthur Foundation to create a giant VW based on Shakespearean England. Unfortunately, Castronova says the game ultimately is boring. There are no monsters to slay. Students are exposed to raw Shakespearean prose and poesy rather than obtuse action and adventure. So, Castronova is releasing the product to the public, and going back to the drawing board to create Arden II … a product he promises will have action, adventure, and many monsters to slay.

For English majors, and other fans of The Bard’s work, visit Arden and play a while.

Make Your Own Online Educational World with VastPark

Educators love to appropriate existing technologies for pedagogical purposes. And so we have educational radio programs, TV programs, videogames … and instructional applications in virtual worlds (VWs) such as Second Life and Active Worlds. However, there is an unfortunate lack of control in VW environments, as griefers manifest themselves with online terrorism, and students may potentially wander into explicit adult areas.

What educators really need are VWs they control completely, regulating who has access as well as the pedagogy that is covered. Dr. Greg Jones over at UNT is a pioneer of this idea. Now, the potential for teachers to easily create their own online education worlds is proffered with a new service from VastPark, which bills itself as a “distributed virtual worlds platform.” Essentially, you design your VW using VastPark’s tools, invite users to stroll your virtual realm with their avatars, and achieve your online objectives whether that be making money or teaching students at a distance.

VastPark is in closed beta, but is available by invitation. For those who’ve seen the tools in beta, such as Jason Stoddard over at Centric, the worlds are amazingly detailed, and remarkably easy to work with. I’ve taken a look at CEO Bruce Joy’s video of VastPark’s Creator Tool, and can attest that it looks fantastic. Its feature list is also impressive.

If VastPark can help teachers easily make their own VWs, we may see a surfeit of online worlds dedicated to educational purposes.