EGC Presentation at NMC 2010 Symposium

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

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

3. 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?

4. 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/

5. 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

6. Why I Do This – Fringe Benefits

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

8. Past “Stuff” A Day in the Life…

9. Past “Stuff” S.C.O.R.E.

10. Past “Stuff” Old-style RPG Games

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

12. 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

13. 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)

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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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

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

20. 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

21. EGC Engagement Initiatives Chemblaster

22. EGC Engagement Initiatives Typo!

23. EGC Guests Blizzard

24. 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

25. EGC Lab Design Started with overhead diagram

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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

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

31. EGC Lab Design - Security Card Swipe Cameras

32. EGC Lab Design – Security - 2 Computer Access

33. EGC Lab Design – Security - 3 Console Access

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

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

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

37. EGC Lab – Results - 2

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

41. EGC Lab – Questions?