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Gaming and Interactive Visualization for Education - A Multi- Disciplinary and Multi-University Collaborative Project

1 Abstract

Most people are more perceptive to the geometric rather than the symbolic representation of information. In engineering disciplines, visualization combined with game characteristics can provide an essential mode to facilitate students’ understanding of important and abstract concepts, and improve students’ willingness to learn. In this project, game characteristics are introduced into course module design, but different from commercially available games in that the level of the contents and assessment tools in this project are meaningful to teachers, students, and parents.

This paper focuses on the design of the Gaming and Interactive Visualization for Education system. Specifically, some initial design results from the three universities for three different courses plus the development of evaluation system will be presented. The system is expected to (1) offer interactions with gaming scenarios that can excite emotions, (2) provide an engaging learning experience of understanding engineering concepts by allowing students to visualize and interact with 3-D objects in a game scenario, (3) employ situated learning by exposing students to the type of challenges they will face in industry, and (4) fit better with the learning styles of the majority of engineering students..

2 Introduction

Student enrollment and graduation rates in U.S. engineering schools have been decreasing over the recent years, with the exception of only top academic institutions [1-4]. This phenomenon is related with students’ lack of willingness to learn abstract engineering concepts. In engineering disciplines, learning through a medium that combines course materials with interactive visualization can be a powerful tool for education. Gaming and Interactive Visualization for Education (GIVE) is a game-like learning tool which is composed of game characteristics (e.g., a progressively balanced goal, feedback, multiple-goal structure, and scoring), 2D/3D visualization, and state-of-the-art interaction technologies to help undergraduate students learn, to improve the image of engineering, and to attract a greater number of high school students to the study of engineering.

Current high school or undergraduate engineering students grew up in an era where video and computer games became one of the major components of the entertainment industry. The game approach in education has the potential to capture student interest and improve learning and teaching methods [6-7]. Sanderson and Millard [6] applied a team-based game strategy in manufacturing education, where students/users assumed the roles of product designer, manufacturing engineer, marketing expert, and product manager. Hsieh [7] investigated a web- based 2D game environment for teaching line balancing concept. The game concept has proved to enhance student interest in learning the materials. But on the other hand, these game systems

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Xu, Y., & Siddique, Z., & Remeikas, C., & Geng, X., & Chowdhury, S., & Ling, C. (2009, June), Gaming And Interactive Visualization For Education: A Multidisciplinary And Multiuniversity Collaborative Project Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--4789