I have been working with the brilliant minds in the video game and design industry since my introduction to the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University in 2006.
While I am a scientist and tech savvy, I had no idea what the world of augmented reality, gaming, and videos could mean in the age before the iPad, especially to kids who are growing up immersed in the opportunity to not just consume games, but create them. We’ll get back to this in a moment.
At first, I worked with the ETC and the University of Pittsburgh’s UPCLOSE program to create a multiyear spy school for girls in STEM. The program had an underlying theme of augmented reality to it (think a Facebook-like system that “fronts” communication much like Charlie’s phone did for Charlie’s Angels). What was most striking about this gamified camp experience for middle school girls was the premise that they themselves were part of the game narrative. They learned advanced concepts in genetics, environmental quality, and sustainability, and were introduced to coding, robotics, and technology design before the 9th grade. With confidence brimming, the girls went into the next school year with a leg up in science.
Subsequently, I embraced the opportunity to work with the ETC, the International Game Design Association and Schell Games when the National STEM Video Game Challenge arrived on the scene. We were fortunate enough to design a workshop and global game jam for students in the 5th – 8th grade. The workshop was totally booked within a week. In the workshop, led by WQED, we were focused on STEM games created for kindergarteners along with the PBS KIDS challenge. We showcased digital and analog game design, as well as potential careers in STEM fields. It was so exciting to see two young men get so energized about creating their game that they recruited their neighbors. Archers and Aliens, a National STEM Video Game Challenge winner, was born. Even more impressive, the boys continued to develop their game which may be just as spectacular as 홈카지노. Their 1.0 version was about “addition” for kids in 1st grade, but they also moved on to 2.0, which was the %E