Board 50: Algae City - An Interactive Serious Game
- Conference
- Location
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Salt Lake City, Utah
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2018
- Start Date
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June 23, 2018
- End Date
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July 27, 2018
- Conference Session
- Tagged Topic
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NSF Grantees Poster Session
- Page Count
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12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--30048
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/30048
- Download Count
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511
Paper Authors
Ying Tang Rowan University
Ying Tang received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Northeastern University, P. R. China, in 1996 and 1998, respectively, and Ph.D degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, in 2001. She is currently a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. Her research interests include virtual reality and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and modeling and scheduling of computer-integrated systems. Dr. Tang is very active in adapting and developing pedagogical methods and materials to enhance engineering education. Her most recent educational research includes the collaboration with Tennessee State University and local high schools to infuse cyber-infrastructure learning experience into the pre-engineering and technology-based classrooms, the collaboration with community colleges to develop interactive games in empowering students with engineering literacy and problem-solving, the integration of system-on-chip concepts across two year Engineering Science and four year ECE curricula, and the implementation of an educational innovation that demonstrates science and engineering principles using an aquarium. Her work has resulted in over 100 journal and conference papers and book chapters.
Kauser Jahan P.E. Rowan University
Kauser Jahan, is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rowan University. She received her B.S.C.E. from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, an MSCE from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Her passion as an educator and mentor has been recognized by many professional organizations over the years. She is the recipient of the Gloucester County Women of Achievement Award, Lindback Foundation Teaching Award, the NJ ASCE Educator of the Year award, the Gary J. Hunter Excellence in Mentoring Award, the ASEE Environmental Engineering Division Meritorious Service Award, the ASEE Women in Engineering Division Sharon A. Keillor Award and the WEPAN Women in Engineering Initiative Award. She has been instrumental in establishing the Attracting Women into Engineering, the Engineers on Wheels and Engineering Clinics for Teachers programs at Rowan University. She has served as the Institutional Representative and Advisory Board Chair for the Women's Professional Network at Rowan University for six years and currently is an advisory board member of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Council on Education (ACE) Office of Women in Higher Education (OWHE). She received a Fulbright award in 2015.
Kevin B. Trinh
Gena Gizzi
Graduated from Rowan University in 2018 with a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a minor in Computer Science. Currently a Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services.
Nathan Lamb
Abstract
Algae City is an interactive and educational game that is currently being developed through IUSE program in the Unity Game Engine. Algae are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that have the ability to conduct photosynthesis. Algae have been found to have many unique and beneficial properties including being utilized as a renewable and sustainable resource. Algae City is designed towards educating students about the possible implementations of algae as a sustainable resource and environment friendly solution to many of the world’s problems. The game’s story line revolves around the idea of the player reintroducing algae into a futuristic space community as a solution for its heavy pollution and depletion of natural resources. The game has an open world environment with a series of interactive modules where the user will complete tasks that exemplify the uses of algae. Some of the uses of algae that is shown in this game include using algae as a renewable resource, viable waste purifier, and a biofuel. A module that goes into depth about the uses of algae as a cosmetic base is currently in development. Through the waste purification module, users can see how algae breaks down waste and uses various nutrients for reproduction. This module prompts the player to create the most optimized pipe routing to get a higher score. In the algae reactor module, the character controls an algae reactor in which the user learns about different parameters that are involved with the cultivation of algae. The biofuel module explores how different concentrations of algae affects the efficiency of algae based bio-fuels. The character drives a bus that uses the combination of gasoline and algae oils to find the most optimized and cost-efficient biofuel mixture. Throughout Algae City, each module tests the player’s cognitive and decision-making skills by challenging the player to find the most ideal solution. Algae City helps users discover the multifaceted beneficial uses of algae. It is a game to promote STEM education.
Tang, Y., & Jahan, K., & Trinh, K. B., & Gizzi, G., & Lamb, N. (2018, June), Board 50: Algae City - An Interactive Serious Game Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30048
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