Penn State is taking a serious look at the educational possibilities of games, virtual worlds, and simulations. This session presented the trials and tribulations of building the Educational Gaming Commons (EGC) at Penn State, from the initial need expressed by faculty to the construction of a state-of-the-art research lab. Now in its second year, the EGC is building “open” games for faculty, sponsoring research in virtual worlds, and assisting departments in simulation construction. How did we do it? Examples of current work, infrastructure of the EGC and EGC Lab, ongoing initiatives, and future directions were shared. Brett Bixler, Pennsylvania State University

2. EGC Video
http://media.nmc.org/2010/03/egc-video.mp4

3. Who am I
• I ask this daily!
• Lead Instructional Designer at PSU
• At PSU 26 years
• Work at Education Technology Services

4. Why I Do This - Games
• Games have many motivational aspects
– http://archive.nmc.org/events/2006summerconf/mate
rials/Bixler/m&g.pdf
• Games hit our affect
• Games can tap into different innate aspects of
the individual – explorer, achiever, socializer,
killer
– See Bartle, http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
• Why can’t education be fun?

5. Why I Do This – Virtual
Worlds
• Sense of self FREEDOM
– You care about your presence
• Death of distance Flow
Repe,,on
• Power of presence
Experimenta,on
– Immersive AND social
Engagement
• Pervasiveness of practice Doing
• Enrichment of experience Observing
– Safe place Mo,va,on
– Lowered inhibitions
Adapted from Karl Kapp - http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/

6. Why I Do This - Simulations
• Faculty are more receptive
• Can practice complex procedures
• Can increase the efficiency of an individual
for a particular process
• Inspirational and motivating
• Fail-safe

7. Why I Do This – Fringe Benefits

8. Why I Do This – Future Wisdom
http://media.nmc.org/2010/03/why-games.mov

9. Past “Stuff”
A Day
in the
Life…

10. Past “Stuff”
S.C.O.R.E.

11. Past “Stuff”
Old-style RPG
Games

12. What is the Educational
Gaming Commons?
• EGC
• Two years old
• Mission – Support teaching, learning, &
research in educational games, virtual
worlds, & simulations

13. EGC Goals
• Stimulate research, application and
education utilizing games, and virtual
environments
• Develop educational games
• Create an Affiliate Program
• Implement the Educational Gaming
Commons Lab

14. Who is Involved?
• Staff
– Brett Bixler – Manager (60%)
– Chris Stubbs – Education Technologist (20%)
– Elizabeth Pyatt – Instructional Designer (30%)
– Jason Wolfe – Programmer (100%)
– Interns (10-20 hrs/wk)

15. EGC History
• Fall 07
– Formation of the
following groups:
– Steering Committee
– Labs Sub-Committee
– Community Hub
Sub-Committee
– Committees guided
infrastructure development

16. EGC History - 2
• Develop the Affiliate Program
– Provides opportunities for faculty, staff, and
students with interest in serious games to
establish a connection to the EGC
– EGC acts as a catalyst
• Establish the Gaming Commons Community
Hub
– Similar to existing ETS hubs
– Contains Affiliate Program
– http://gaming.psu.edu

17. EGC History - 3
• Spring through Summer 2008
– General Awareness PR Campaign
– Continue Implementation of Affiliate Program
– Workshops for faculty, researchers, and
instructors
– Sample Educational Game Development
• EcoRacer
– Physical Game Lab Design & Development

18. EGC History - 4
EcoRacer
•Supplemental
•Raise environmental
awareness
•Fuel types
•gas
•solar
•wind
•hydrogen

19. EGC Accomplishments
• Projects
– Engagement Initiatives
– One-on-one consultations
– Sponsoring presentations, guest speakers,
etc.
• EGC Lab
– Innovative space containing PCs, game
consoles, and a variety of games, virtual
worlds, and simulations

20. EGC Accomplishments - 2
• Active Second Life Presence
– Virtual Hacienda
– Virtual Palmer
Museum
– Many spaces
for faculty to
experiment

21. EGC Accomplishments - 3
• EGC Works Podcast Series
– http://podcasts.psu.edu
• Click “Access Open Content”
• Click “Information Technology Services”
• Game-like activities in the class
– Useful for the five-minute game
– Easy to prepare and run

22. EGC Engagement Initiatives
Chemblaster

23. EGC Engagement Initiatives
Typo!

24. EGC Guests
Blizzard

25. EGC Lab
• Designed for research, teaching, learning
• Space is where the first computer lab at
PSU was installed in 1988
• In a freshman dorm
• If not reserved, an open lab for fun

26. EGC Lab Design
Started with overhead
diagram

27. EGC Lab Design - 2
Then a
mockup in
Second Life

28. EGC Lab Design - 3
• Involved a team that works on computer labs
and learning space designs
• Worked with PSU Office of the Physical Plant
before and during the room renovation
• Hired an outside company to do the video
switching unit
• Involved faculty and students in design
questions
• Brought in a sound engineer to test the
sound levels

29. EGC Lab Design - 4
• Results – Innovative space
• Card swipe into the room for security
• Eight PCs
– Two groups of four
– Software in on DVDs or loaded via Steam
• One Wii, PS3, Xbox
– In locked cabinets
• Ceiling Projector

30. EGC Lab Design - 5
• Five wall-mounted LCD panels
• Video Switch Unit
– Can output video & audio from any PC,
Console to any LCD or ceiling projector
– Can accept video (VGA) & audio in from five
additional sources
• Wireless in the room is robust
• Five mobility ports allow five hard-wired
connections to the internet

31. EGC Lab Design – PC DVDs
• Remain a sticking point – too many
updates!

32. EGC Lab Design - Security
Card Swipe
Cameras

33. EGC Lab Design – Security - 2
Computer Access

34. EGC Lab Design – Security - 3
Console Access

35. EGC Lab Design – Security - 4
Console Security
All hooked to a Cisco Firewall with certain
ports blocked on each console.

36. EGC Lab Design – Video &
Audio
Choose
Choose Output 
Source

37. EGC Lab – Results - 1
• A vibrant space where research, teaching, and
learning occur around educational gaming,
virtual worlds, and simulations.

38. EGC Lab – Results - 2

39. EGC Lab – Results - 3

40. EGC Lab – Results - 4

41. EGC Futures – Leveling up!
• Continue to grow faculty contacts
• Continue Engagement Initiatives
• Build a second lab?
• Mobile games
• Partnerships with other Universities and
businesses

42. EGC Lab – Questions?