Simulation & Gaming recent issues

Editorial: eGames and adaptive eLearning

Crookall, D. — 2008-08-08

Guest Editorial: eGames and adaptive eLearning: A practical approach

Fernandez-Manjon, B., Burgos Griff, D., Guest, R. — 2008-08-08

The usability of a commercial game physics engine to develop physics educational materials: An investigation

Price, C. B. — 2008-08-08

Commercial computer games contain "physics engine" components, responsible for providing realistic interactions among game objects. The question naturally arises of whether these engines can be used to develop educational materials for high school and university physics education. To answer this question, the author's group recently conducted a detailed scientific investigation of the physics engine of Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2004). This article presents their motivation, methodology, and results. The author presents the findings of experiments that probed the accessibility and fidelity of UT2004's physics engine, examples of educational materials developed, and an evaluation of their use in high school classes. The associated pedagogical implications of this approach are discussed, and the author suggests guidelines for educators on how to deploy the approach. Key resources are presented on an associated Web site.

EMERGO: A methodology and toolkit for developing serious games in higher education

2008-08-08

Societal changes demand educators to apply new pedagogical approaches. Many educational stakeholders feel that serious games could play a key role in fulfilling this demand, and they lick their chops when looking at the booming industry of leisure games. However, current toolkits for developing leisure games show severe shortcomings when applied to serious games. Developing effective serious games in an efficient way requires a specific approach and tool set. This article describes the EMERGO methodology and generic toolkit for developing and delivering scenario-based serious games that are aimed at the acquisition of complex cognitive skills in higher education. Preliminary evaluation results with case developers using the EMERGO methodology and toolkit and with learners using EMERGO cases are presented.

Teaching with game-based learning management systems: Exploring a pedagogical dungeon

Carron, T., Marty, J.-C., Heraud, J.-M. — 2008-08-08

The work reported here takes place in the educational domain. The authors propose a learning environment based on a graphical representation of a course. The emergence of online multiplayer games led the authors to apply the following metaphor to the digital work environments: The method of acquiring knowledge during a learning session is similar to the exploration of a dungeon, where each student collects knowledge related to a learning activity. In the first part of this article, the authors focuses on a description of how concepts of learning activities can be represented in the dungeon view. The second part deals with the support of the observation task for the teacher during a learning session and more generally with providing users with awareness. The authors thus propose a multiagent system using data collected from traces resulting from the collaborative learning activity. Finally, this environment allowed the authors to set up experiments with students at their university.

When worlds collide: Developing game-design partnerships in universities

Lynch, M. A., Tunstall, R. J. — 2008-08-08

A growing body of evidence suggests that relevant, well-designed simulations can make a valuable contribution to students' experiences in training and education and go some way toward meeting the expectations of students who have grown up with immersive, computer-mediated games. Within universities, many barriers exist that may prevent the effective development of this work, in part because of the nature of the traditional roles of both academics and developers who undertake these activities. Through a discussion of the experiences of working within a successful cross-functional team, the authors discuss the practice of developing an innovative eLearning simulation tool for an undergraduate course and how the challenges of combining the developer and educationalist roles were overcome. By synthesizing theories in educational philosophy and game design processes, a conceptual framework for ensuring quality in creative education projects is outlined that may be applied to the development of eLearning and adaptive game projects.

Integrating an educational 3D game in Moodle

Gonzalez, C. S., Blanco, F. — 2008-08-08

Different approaches have demonstrated that learning improves when implemented in a constructivist and social way. In addition, electronic games and simulations are perceived to have high educational value because of their motivational and emotional factors. This potential value can be developed by defining appropriate scenarios in which players are presented learning objectives with playable goals using different strategies. The authors introduce a prototype intended to include such scenarios in learning flows, partially integrating the learning management system Moodle and BioWare's game Neverwinter Nights. First, the authors analyze the reasons and background that support their proposal. They then provide a description of the motivational and cognitive factors that influence human interaction with video games (especially 3D games) and learning. The implemented prototype is then introduced, taking into account scenarios, roles, environments, and how collaboration is implemented. Finally, the authors present their conclusions.

Building adaptive game-based learning resources: The integration of IMS Learning Design and

2008-08-08

IMS Learning Design (IMS-LD) is a specification to create units of learning (UoLs), which express a certain pedagogical model or strategy (e.g., adaptive learning with games). However, the authoring process of a UoL remains difficult because of the lack of high-level authoring tools for IMS-LD, even more so when the focus is on specific topics, such as educational eGames. However, external tools that are not specifically IMS-LD oriented can be used. In this case, the main challenge is the integration between these external resources developed with other technologies and the personalized learning experience of an IMS-LD UoL. In this article, the authors use the <e-Adventure> project to develop conversational games that are integrated with IMS-LD UoLs to improve personalized learning. The main contribution of this setting is the integration of both parts, the IMS-LD specification and <e-Adventure>, and the communication that enables a mutual influence of the adaptive learning experience.

BIT BY BIT: A game simulating natural language processing in computers

Kato, T., Arakawa, C. — 2008-08-08

BIT BY BIT is an encryption game that is designed to improve students' understanding of natural language processing in computers. Participants encode clear words into binary code using an encryption key and exchange them in the game. BIT BY BIT enables participants who do not understand the concept of binary numbers to perform the process of converting decimal into binary and vice versa. This understanding helps participants to comprehend one of the concepts of computer science (i.e., how computers express natural languages using signals).

Association news & notes

2008-08-08

Alan Coote, Gary Gygax, Language socialization

Crookall, D. — 2008-05-07

Alan Coote (1944-2007)

Saunders, D. — 2008-05-07

Gary Gygax (1938-2008)

Corbeil, P. — 2008-05-07

Examining the societal impacts of nanotechnology through simulation: NANO SCENARIO

Jarmon, L., Keating, E., Toprac, P. — 2008-05-07

This article describes a university-sponsored experiential-based simulation, the NANO SCENARIO, to increase the public's awareness and affect attitudes on the societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology by bringing together diverse stakeholders' perspectives in a participatory learning environment. Nanotechnology has the potential for massive societal effects across all sectors, globally. Thus, new forms of education are needed to prepare members of society for making complex decisions about policy, governance, and values. Here, the authors examine the theoretical and conceptual framework of the simulation, which uses improvised role-play and perspective-taking to engage the public in a transformative learning experience. As part of this examination, they describe the uses and constraints of simulations with open-ended goals and without competition and prescribed rules. They believe educational role-play scenarios with active participation of the public can serve as a dynamic method for civic engagement across a range of complex, interdisciplinary topics and new technological dilemmas.

Language socialization

Halleck, G. — 2008-05-07

Breaking frame in a role-play simulation: A language socialization perspective

Schick, L. — 2008-05-07

This article uses key concepts developed in frame analysis and language socialization theories to reconceptualize role-play simulation as socialization practice. The reconceptualization includes (a) an effort to explain an unexpected response to a role-play simulation on the topic of bullying and (b) a discussion regarding how this explanation sheds light on the nature of role-play simulations as a popular and robust form of pedagogical and socialization practice. Key concepts from frame analysis include the following: first, the differentiation between fantasy and play activities on one hand and serious and real-world activities on the other; second, the notion of breaking frame to identify and understand situations in which participants violate the rules and expectations of conduct associated with the role-play in which they are immediately engaged. Key concepts from language socialization include the ideas that socialization is accomplished through participation in interactional routines and that these interactional routines are subject to negotiation every time that they are used in practice. The article concludes that role-play simulations have a high potential for providing situations in which participants break out of the representation frame of simulation and into the frame of real-world consequential action.

Internet chat in simulations: Taking BULLYING online

Hull, E. B. — 2008-05-07

This article discusses the pedagogical implications of using Internet chat in simulations for second-language learners. The author reviews several published simulations and explains how to use Internet chat effectively in the classroom. The author also relays her experience with using Internet chat with the BULLYING simulation.

How a deaf boy gamed his way to second-language acquisition: Tales of intersubjectivity

Gastao Salies, T., Starosky, P. — 2008-05-07

Taking an experiential approach to language development, this article links gaming to the language development of a 10-year-old deaf child under speech therapy. Specifically, it examines face-to-face interactions between mediators and the child, during 1 year of gaming in clinical encounters. To do so, it codes data by means of interactional variables (intentionality and subjectivity/intersubjectivity) and textual variables (function versus content words). Results show that gaming yielded affordances in the use of strategic behavior and syntax by the child. They also reveal that repetition is a recurrent communicative strategy that contributes to meaning making, culture learning, and discursive involvement. Furthermore, role reversals by the child and the mediators suggest that gaming played a constitutive part in the development of the boy's subjectivity/intersubjectivity—ultimately, in his development of Portuguese as a second language.

Role-play and language socialization among bilingual Korean children in the United States

Yun, S. — 2008-05-07

This article examines children's role-play within the framework of language socialization, as well as the relations between (a) utterances made by young bilingual Korean children within the role-play frame and (b) metacommunicative utterances about the play. It analyzes the language features that children use to set up the context of role-play and explores the relationships of the children who participate in the process of role-play socialization. Data analysis includes thematically and pragmatically related sequences of naturally occurring interactions during lunch time and play time in a Korean Baptist church in the United States and play time at some of the children's homes. Results indicate that bilingual children socialize themselves and jointly construct their identities through role-play in the communities of practice using specific features of language such as metacommunicative verbs, deictics, and code-switching.

Facilitating conversations across time: Using simulations in living history training

Seig, M. T. — 2008-05-07

This article describes the use of a simulation as a crucial part of a larger training program at a living history museum. The simulation provided an experiential, emotional base from which museum staff could re-envision their interactions with visitors and effect cultural and organizational change from within those interactions.

BULLYING: A ready-to-use simulation

Halleck, G. B. — 2008-05-07

This article introduces a simulation on bullying that consists of five phases. In the briefing phase, the participants answer a questionnaire about bullying. After they complete the questionnaire, they move on to read simulated news articles (the second phase). Once they finish reading the articles, the participants take part in a talk show. This third phase is followed by an in-service workshop (the fourth phase) in which school personnel discuss six case studies and must decide if the cases represent bullying or not. After the workshop, the fifth and final phase consists of a debriefing, in which participants have an opportunity to share their thoughts on the topic.

NANO SCENARIO: Role-playing to appreciate the societal effects of nanotechnology

Jarmon, L., Keating, E. — 2008-05-07

Association news & notes

2008-05-07

Artificial intelligence and simulation

Crookall, D. — 2008-02-06

Artificial intelligence and simulation

Yilmaz, L., Oren, T., Thavikulwat, P. — 2008-02-06

Integrating crowd-behavior modeling into military simulation using game technology

2008-02-06

Crowds of noncombatants play a large and increasingly recognized role in modern military operations and often create substantial difficulties for the combatant forces involved. However, realistic models of crowds are essentially absent from current military simulations. To address this problem, the authors are developing a crowd simulation capable of generating crowds of noncombatant civilians that exhibit a variety of realistic individual and group behaviors at differing levels of fidelity. The crowd simulation is interoperable with existing military simulations using a standard, distributed simulation architecture. Commercial game technology is used in the crowd simulation to model both urban terrain and the physical behaviors of the human characters that make up the crowd. The objective of this article is to present the design and development process of a simulation that integrates commercially available game technology with current military simulations to generate realistic and believable crowd behavior.

Exploring interactive stories in an HIV/AIDS learning game: HEALTHSIMNET

Dobson, M. W., Ha, D. — 2008-02-06

This article is based on work to develop an interactive documentary learning game called HEALTHSIMNET, which is intended for improving practice in a health care network. The authors look briefly at past work done to develop interactive narratives using structural artificial knowledge representation techniques. They illustrate a method for collection and analysis of documentary data acquired during semi-structured interviews with participants of a network of health practitioners in the HIV field. The article reviews the expansive theory of learning and explains how the technique can yield interactive narrative. They discuss the design implications of this work for their interprofessional learning game. They end with a description of the game and a discussion of the extent to which games developed using this method can be said to sustain the kind of learning described by activity theory.

Creating physically embodied agents using realistic human motion models

Sukthankar, G., Mandel, M., Sycara, K. — 2008-02-06

Many simulations are populated with physically embodied agents capable of taking physical actions in the virtual world. Creating these agents, or virtual humans, is demanding; not only must the agents demonstrate visual verisimilitude, but they must plan and act in a way that is consistent with that of humans, especially for training simulations in which the participants are attempting to learn real-world skills. This article discusses an approach for adapting agent decision-making techniques to accurately model the physical capabilities of human subjects. To achieve this, the authors rely on human movement data acquired with a motion capture apparatus to build physically realistic models of human movement. To aid agents' planning, the authors construct a physical capability model for the agents, an accurate estimate of the time required for a real human to perform various movement sequences. A cost map over the space of agent actions is calculated by creating and stochastically sampling motion graphs assembled from the human data exemplars. The agents can use this cost model during the planning process to select between equivalent goal-achieving plans. This technique leverages highly accurate movement information acquired from human subjects to create agents that plan in physically realistic ways.

A personality-based simulation of bargaining in e-commerce

2008-02-06

Distributed Artificial Intelligence techniques have evolved toward multi-agent systems (MASs) where agents solve specific problems. Bargaining is a challenging area well-explored in both MAS and economics. To make agents more human-like and to increase their flexibility to reach an agreement, the authors investigated the role of personality behaviors of participants in a multi-criteria bilateral bargaining in a single-good e-marketplace, where both parties are OCEAN agents based on the five-factor (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Negative emotions) model of personality. The authors simulate a computational approach based on a heuristic bargaining protocol and personality model on artificial stereotypes. The results suggest compound behaviors appropriate to gain the best overall utility in the role of buyer and seller and with regard to social welfare and market activeness. This generic personality-based approach can be used as a predictive or descriptive model of human behavior to adopt in areas involving negotiation and bargaining.

Visualization and rule validation in human-behavior representation

Moya, L. J., McKenzie, F. D., Nguyen, Q.-A. H. — 2008-02-06

Human behavior representation (HBR) models simulate human behaviors and responses. The Joint Crowd Federate^TM cognitive model developed by the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) and licensed by WernerAnderson, Inc., models the cognitive behavior of crowds to provide credible crowd behavior in support of military training, exercise support, and wargaming experiments and can be federated with semi-automated forces (SAF) simulations. Other possible uses include training support to emergency management and security personnel. The large parameter spaces and behavior complexities associated with HBR can make validating these simulations difficult, but with a multipronged approach, it is not impossible. A comprehensive approach investigates not only the results of the simulation but also the mathematical instantiation in the conceptual model. This article demonstrates a technique developed to understand the mathematical instantiation of the parameter space embodied by our HBR model and the effects of different parameterizations on the model's initialization space.

A lesson learned through gaming

Kovalik, L. M., Kovalik, D. L. — 2008-02-06

This article describes an educational card game the objective of which is to raise students' awareness of the need for clarity, structure, and organization in all everyday activities of humans. Although the game as such was played in freshman composition, therefore addressing the immediate needs of that particular class, the lesson learned through it can easily be generalized—and hence applied to everyday life.

The life of a simulation: Programmatic promises and pitfalls

Damron, R. L. — 2008-02-06

This article is a reflection on the promises and pitfalls of using a simulation-centered curriculum for English as a Second Language (ESL) writing over time. A one-time graduate student and instructor of the program, the author returned after 10 years to the program as the director to discover that as with any curriculum, changes had occurred—changes in leadership, teaching staff, and course objectives—which had consequences for simulation use in the classroom. In an effort to determine the current state of the program and possible directions for the future, the author surveyed 12 current and former instructors and interviewed a former director of the program and found implications for instructor training, program direction, and sustaining simulation use over time.

THE ITA PROBLEM: A ready-to-use simulation

Halleck, G. B. — 2008-02-06

This simulation probes what is known as the "foreign" teaching assistant problem. The "problem" can be found at large state universities in the United States where international graduate students are required to earn their scholarships by teaching undergraduate courses and arises because of a combination of issues, including the oral proficiency of the international teaching assistants (ITAs) and the xenophobic reactions to them by undergraduate students and their parents. The simulation probes the cross-cultural competence of all the stakeholders involved.

Association news & notes

2008-02-06

In pursuit of peace: Attitudinal and behavioral change with simulations and Multiple Identification Theory

Williams, R. H., Williams, A. J. — 2007-12-11

The authors have developed a theory of simulation game design (Multiple Identification Theory; MIT) based on earlier research and several of their own studies. They utilize this theory to create a simulation game designed to change attitudes from a stance of competition to one of cooperation. Three questionnaires are constructed that measure participants' attitudes toward "cooperation versus competition," "truth and trust versus deception and mistrust," and "social view of conflict versus individual view of conflict." Participants play a simulation designed by the authors in accordance with MIT. All students complete pretests of the attitude questionnaires, play the simulation twice, and then complete posttests of the same questionnaires. In addition to these data, behavioral measures of the players' cooperative or aggressive conduct during the simulations are recorded. Quantitative and qualitative analysis found significant change (in a cooperative direction) for all measures. Robust e fect sizes are also reported. It is believed this study provides encouraging initial support for the e ficacy of simulations designed via MIT in changing attitudes and behavior. It is suggested that such research is of special importance for the promotion of cooperation and peace as alternatives to competition and aggression.

Role-playing games for capacity building in water and land management: Some Brazilian experiences

Camargo, M. E., Roberto Jacobi, P., Ducrot, R. — 2007-12-11

Role-playing games in natural resource management are currently being tested as research, training, and intervention tools all over the world. Various studies point out their potential to deal with complex issues and to contribute to training processes. The objective of this contribution is to analyze the limits and potentialities of this tool for capacity building in environmental management of stakeholders with low educational levels by comparing various Brazilian experiences. Five games that were developed and used to train local stakeholders or state technicians about specific aspects of new and di ficult to understand legislation are compared. The comparison of these experiences is based on (a) an analysis of the materials (game support) provided by the developers, (b) interviews with authors and game developers, and (c) participation in game sessions whenever possible.

Who wants to terminate the game? The role of vested interests and metaplayers in the ATOLLGAME experience

Dray, A., Perez, P., Le Page, C., D'Aquino, P., White, I. — 2007-12-11

Low coral islands are heavily dependent on groundwater for freshwater supplies. The declaration by the government of Kiribati of water reserves over privately owned land has led to conflicts, illegal settlements, and vandalism. Also, the water consumption tends to increase toward Western-like standards, and human pollution has already contaminated most freshwater lenses. This project aims to provide relevant information to local stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and devise sustainable water management practices. A computer-assisted role-playing game is implemented to fulfill this aim. The following three-stage methodology is applied: collecting local and expert knowledge, blending the di ferent viewpoints into a game-based model, and playing the game with the di ferent stakeholders to explore di ferent scenarios. Although game sessions delivered successful outcomes, the final stage of the project is characterized by the upheaval of contradictory government stands that undermine the whole process. It is argued that heterogeneous viewpoints may be handled in a satisfactory manner during the gaming sessions but that long-term hidden agendas may override the outcomes. Beyond the inherent question of legitimacy attached to such approaches, some players clearly must deal with constraints that are often genuinely considered external to the ongoing negotiation process.

Functional design of games to support natural resource management policy development

Bots, P., van Daalen, E. — 2007-12-11

This article works toward a conceptual framework for designing games to support policy development for managing natural resources. The point of departure for this framework is a typology for functions of games in support of policy. This typology consists of six classes of functions of a policy game: research and analyze policy contexts as systems, design and recommend alternative solutions to a policy problem, provide advice to a client on what strategy to follow in the policy process, mediate between di ferent stakeholders, democratize policy development by actively bringing in stakeholder views, and clarify the values and arguments pertinent to the policy discourse. These functions are illustrated using specific examples of games that have been used in the domain of natural resource management (NRM). The framework discussed in this article may help game designers to match specific game properties (players, roles, rewards, and representations of the NRM context) with the intended function of the game in the policy-development process.

Simulation in second language acquisition: Part 3

Halleck, G. B. — 2007-12-11

Television quiz show simulation

Hill, J. L. — 2007-12-11

This article explores the simulation of four television quiz shows for students in China studying English as a foreign language (EFL). It discusses the adaptation and implementation of television quiz shows and how the students reacted to them.

Teaching academic discussion skills with a card game

Reese, C., Wells, T. — 2007-12-11

This article describes a game used for teaching discussion skills to English as a Second Language (ESL) students. It was originally designed for students wanting to prepare for graduate study at U.S. universities has been since used for other ESL students wanting to improve conversation skills. The game focuses on common phrases helpful for participating in seminar-style classes common to graduate school settings. The authors explain the rationale for choosing to teach skills using a game. They describe the procedures, benefits, and weaknesses of the game and students' experiences using the game.

Generating cross-cultural training data for THE UNIVERSITY GAME

Damron, R. L., Halleck, G. B. — 2007-12-11

This article describes the process of creating training data for a game developed to promote cross-cultural competence among students studying in a culture di ferent from their own. The process of creating game cards (known as culture assimilators) begins with the collection of reports of intercultural misunderstandings. This phase of data generation is followed by the elicitation of possible explanations for the reported misunderstandings. The final phase in this process involves the development of evaluative feedback for the plausible explanations proposed by students.

Reflections on the GUN CONTROL simulation: Pedagogical implications for EAP writing classes

Gastao Salies, T. — 2007-12-11

This article critically reflects on the GUN CONTROL simulation (Saliés, 1994a) by retaking ideas advanced by Saliés (2002) and applying them to the context of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing classes in Brazil. It examines how controlled practice relates to learners' performance on the first draft in a simulation-based content unit designed for EAP writing courses. Specifically, it describes how fluency and controlled practice were balanced during briefing and debriefing, and it critically discusses the outcomes. Among other issues, it addresses the role of explicit instruction on learners' logical organization of thought, documentation, and use of language.

Association news & notes

2007-12-11