September 2006 — Features
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Educational Gaming :: All the Right MUVEs
MUVE-ing Into the Future
The progression from the early days of Adventure to the present day of Whyville and River City shows that as gaming technology evolves, more horsepower will be available for education. Advancements are sure to come now that companies such as Activeworlds are developing tools for creating virtual worlds and environments, freeing educational content makers to focus on the substance of their programs rather than the underlying technology. (River City is based on the Activeworlds toolset.)
We got a nice letter from a girl who designed her own dance but didn’t realize that this was vector arithmetic until she encountered it in school. She perked up and told her math teacher, 'Oh, I know what this is! This is Mimi’s Dance Studio!'Jen Sun, Numedeon
The proliferation of computers and broadband access into homes may mean that the dividing line between classwork and homework will blur. “Some kids can do a thing once and get it,” Galas says. “Others need to do it over and over again before all of a sudden, the lightbulb comes on and they say, ‘I’ve got it!’ That’s what’s wonderful about the technology, that students can do exercises as many times as they like on their own timeline. They’re all able to learn; they just need the tools.”
Galas says the enthusiasm of her students was inspiring. “When they get that excited about learning, you can do more than you ever thought possible. You’ve got them.”
:: web extra :: For more information on this topic, visit www.thejournal.com. In the Browse by Topic menu, click on eLearning/Web.
Mikael Blaisdell is principal of an IT support consultancy, Mikael Blaisdell & Associates, serving higher education and corporations worldwide.
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