Vote for Your Favorite Video Game

Spike TV is presenting the 1st Annual Video Game Awards scheduled to air on Thursday December 4 at 9PM ET/PT. You can even vote for your favorite games in a number of categories. While the competition includes categories for online games, PC games, handheld games and many others; sadly, it does not include a category for educational games. The web site itself might win an award for an annoying use of Flash, but it does have clips from a number of games that might be fodder for ideas about what's popular among game players.

Math Game Website

Sure, they're drills. But still, here is a resource for the K-12 classroom: scweb4free.com has designed math games in Flash for elementary and middle school students. I like the fact that students can set their own goals before starting by selecting a time limit (from 1 to 8 minutes) and the number of problems to complete in that time (from 1 to 8). I played around with the Order of Operations game shown here.

Game Empire

Last weekend I stumbled across a great game store here in San Diego. It is called Game Empire and is located in Clairemont off the 805 freeway. Billing itself as “Land of a Thousand Games,” Game Empire has a tremendous selection of games of all kinds: chess, backgammon, mahjong, independent board games, educational games, puzzles, and casino supplies. Not only do they sell the products but they also offer to teach people how to play. In an adjacent 2000 square foot room, gamers play in ongoing leagues and tournaments.

If you love games, or just want to see what is out there on the market, I suggest that you check this store out. Its location is 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 306, 92111.

A Colossal Waste of Time

BBC Learning has a simple game they use to promote their training development services. The game actually encourages the user to wad up their notes from training (Gasp!) and toss them into a wastebasket. Of course, there's a wonderful twist that makes this a very engaging game to play.

Give it a try!
This game links to a very good, rich resource site. Begin playing at your own risk!!!

Hacking the Xbox

And you thought your Xbox was only for games…According to Andrew “Bunnie” Huang, a recent MIT grad, you can get around the many security features in an Xbox console and take control of the device, essentially converting it into a computer that costs less than $200. He has written a book, Hacking the Xbox, which outlines the steps.

In an interview in the current issue of Giant Robot [a magazine], Huang describes some of the cool ways people are using hacked Xboxes. He has a few that are configured to run Linux; his hacked Xboxes do everything computers can do—web, email, word processing, and spreadsheets. He’s read about people in third-world nations who are retrofitting them for educational purposes. One of the oddest things he has seen is people making a “Beowulf cluster,” chaining Xboxes together to make them into a supercomputer.

For more information, check out the Hacking the Xbox website. Or go to the bookstore and read pages 83-84 of Giant Robot Issue 30.

Help for California's Budget Crisis

This simple simulation is a great exercise for those who need to experience the feel of the trade-offs which policy makers need to make in creating federal budgets and dealing with deficits. The National Budget Simulation, asks you to adjust spending and tax expenditures in the the 2004 budget proposed by the White House in order to achieve either a balanced budget or any other target deficit.

The Simulation also allows you to adjust the costs of the 2001 and proposed 2003 tax cuts, either cutting or cancelling them to raise revenue, or increasing them to create larger tax cuts. It also allows you to increase or decrease tax expenditures, also known as tax deductions, credits or "loopholes."

Considering the current crisis faced by the state of California, I think this simulation may provide valuable information toward their decision making process. Additionally, this is a powerful tool within an economics course or any course that teaches how governments make the decisions that keep them financially solvent.

No matter where you go, there you are

It looks like the producers of the newest sims-like online role-playing game, There.com are hoping that the Lizzy McGuire set will flock to this virtual getaway and once they ARE there that they will shell out real cash to buy virtual things like “hip” clothes or floating surfboards.

Admittedly, this sim looks very cool. QuickTime tours linked off of the home page reveal a graphically rich world with lots of places to hang out and chat with your friends. You can also partake in dune buggy races, attend concerts and, of course, travel around There on your floating surfboard. One interesting feature that I think we will see more of in the future are the chat balloons. This allows players to see conversations comic book style instead of having to read the chat window used by many MMPRG.

If you want to check it out, There offers a two week free trial that doesn’t require a credit card for collateral.

Are You Living In a Computer Simulation?

I ran across this web page while performing a Google search looking for computer troubleshooting simulations. The Simulation Argument is both a web page and a hypothesis by Nick Bostrom, a Philosophy Research Fellow at Oxford University. Dr. Bostrom posits that it is likely that we either are, or soon will be, living within a computer simulation rather than actually participating physically in what we’re mentally experiencing.

This website includes ‘scholarly investigations’ into the idea that we are living what we watched Keanu Reeves ‘acting’ through in the Matrix Trilogy, as well as a link to Dr. Bostrom’s homepage, which discusses a number of other hypotheses, all of which are best considered when one is really, really, really stoned.

Vanished Planet

This game is pretty interesting! Vanished Planet is a cooperative board game, meaning all players work together to win. Either all the players win or they all lose. The object of the game is to strategically plan ship movement, resource management, and technology building while trying to delay the creature from destroying your world. Not only is it a cooperative board game but they have designed it such that the difficulty levels are scalable. This allows them to target children as well as adults.

Check it out. It's actually on the web and can be downloaded for free.
http://www.vanishedplanetgames.com/main/index.php?page=Game

Site for "All Your Game Development Needs"

GameDev.net has news, tutorials and all kinds of information related to game development, including the ever popular job offers. Information ranges from tutorials on C++ to news of a bachelors degree in game development to articles on many aspects of game design.

Sim History

It might make more sense to the kids if they could role play some of the important events in the history as part of their learning experience. Here is a website presented by Distance Simulation Group, a Division of Historical Learning Foundation (HOLF).

They have two simulations for now: (1) Civial War OnLine - a military, economic, and political simulation of the American Civil War with both wargaming and roleplaying aspects. It is played by using the Shot and Shell, Captialist Patriots and Greed and General Quarters programs; (2) Napoleonic Wars OnLine - a multiplayer simulation of combat and diplomacy during the Wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

Explore Learning

If you are a science teacher for grade 6-12, you can't miss the chance to surf on the website of explore learning. This is a site with a whole collection of educational simulations and games for subjects in science: Maths, Earth and Space, Life Science, Biology, etc. You name it!

Virtual Labs & Simulations

This is a great collection of a variety of educational simulations - Virtual Labs & Simulations. They have hundreds of links to simulations on different subjects, from light simulations to wave simulations, from color theory to maths and computers.
This is a good resource for teachers at schools.

Colony of the Future

Wanna take a trip to the future? There is a simulation site called "The Fourth Planet: A Colony of the Future", where you could find a very unique community of students who are making their new homes on Mars, virtually.

They chose to relocate in Mars mostly because of environmental issues. So they started building a new home on the fourth planet. Certain missions will be assigned to a colonist, such as demonstrate willingness to both scientific and social science research topics; help establish government system and policies; and the most intersting task - "keep personal logs of your experiences for the benefit of future Martian colonies to learn from" - there is another function of blog ;-) Enjoy your trip to the future!

Not Yer Typical Boring Video Game Class

Our neighbor down the road, UCSD, is offering a video game programming seminar for anyone interested in learning about the software involved in creating video games. It covers graphics, collision detection, physics simulation, character animation, 3D sound, special effects and for those who are way into it, artificial intelligence.

Definitely worth checking out!

Plimoth Plantation

Are you interested in becoming a Historian? If so, Plimoth Plantation is the place for you. Come join Sarah and Dancing Hawk as they guide you through what really happened at the harvest festival in 1621. This is also referred to as "The First Thanksgiving", but is this true?

You will need Macromedia Flash Player 6 to view this site.

Once the participant enters the site they are able to choose from 6 activities. At the bottom of the screen there is a glossary, visit the expert, and teacher's guide tabs.

1. Fact or Myth - A series of pictures is shown on the screen. The participant drags the proper description to each picture. If the participant is wrong, there will be a sound and they can try again. If the participant is correct, the description will snap to the picture.

2. The Evidence - The participant is given part of an article to decipher. The participante can hear how Edward Winslow would have read this blurb out load in 1621. At the end of this piece, some sections are highlighted. The participant can click on the color and it will explain that section better.

3. The Wampanoag People - A series of rocks is placed around a circle. The participant is to choose one and listen to what it was like for the Wampanoag people in 1621. A movie clip is shown at the conclusion.

4. The English Colonists - Explore where the colonists lived. Enter a house and answer some multiple choice questions (responses included).

5. The Path to 1621 - Here the participant will explore how the Wampanoag and colonists might have felt about each other at the 1621 harvest festival.

6. Share what you've discovered - The participant can choose to write an exhibit label about one picture or design a museum exhibit.

I didn't feel like the participant was interacting enough. All information was given. The graphics and presentation were wonderful. The site is definitely worth a visit.

Happy Turkey Day to all!

Hidden Agenda Contest

The Liemandt Foundation, a non-profit foundation focused on promoting technology-enabled education, is hosting a college student video game development contest to challenge students to build entertaining games that "secretly" teach middle school subjects. Games will be judged in May for a chance at the grand prize of $25,000. Advising the contest are Richard Garriott and Marc Prensky. They hope the contest will enable college students to understand the importance and potential of "stealth education." The final judging of the games is based on 70% entertainment and 30% educational value because, as program director Lauren Davis says, "Children will only learn from the games they want to play."

For more information on the contest go to the Hidden Agenda website.

Astronomy Simulations

Here is a website for the amateur astronomer. It appears to be a website for an introductory astronomy class. It contains various simulations that include measuring the stellar parallax, eclipsing binary stars, a binary star system and Stellar Evolution. When you click on one of these simulations you view each in motion. Underneath each simulation is a description of the simulation and an explanation of what is occurring. Finally, if you so desire, you can enter in different values and then see how those different values change the simulations. An interesting website for people just beginning their studies in astronomy.

Simulating Real Lives

This is actually a simulation game from educational simulations. The name of the game is called "real lives". It is an interactive life simulation that enables you to live one of billions of lives in any country in the world. Through statistically accurate events, Real Lives brings to life different cultures, political systems, economic opportunities, personal decisions, health issues, family issues, schooling, jobs, religions, geography, war, peace, and more.

Net Frog

Frog dissection has been an indispensible part of biology class. However, back in 1994, a program called "Net Frog" was first created by Richard Strauss, Jean Foss, and Mable Kinzie and later developed into an online tutorial as a valuable preparation tool or even a useful substitute for laboratory dissection.

This may not be anything today, but back to 1994, when many softwares did not exist, this was quite something at that time! Actually, the "Net Frog" was one of the first educational simulations on the Internet.

The site has been much improved with advanced multimedia softwares in 2002 and now becomes "Net Frog: The Digital Dissection" with movies, images, texts, interactive exercises, and relevant research findings.

Mystery of the Doppler Effect

It is said that the doppler effect is comparatively easy to be recognized than explained or simulated. Here is an interactive lesson with vivid wave simulations. You can learn about the doppler effect by playing several different simulations on this site, watch mini-movies, and get further resources recomended by SMEs. This is really an educational and fun site!

Tips for Becoming a Game Designer

In an article on the TechTV website, Paul Reiche III, a game designer at Crystal Dynamics provides a series of tips and a "course catalogue" for would-be game designers. Not surprisingly, he points out that game design is a "mongrel discipline" that involves a broad range of skills. While most designers have a core skill like programming, art or writing, most have dabbled in many areas. In addition to programming, art and writing, valuable competencies include math, science and history. He also provides a list of the programs most commonly used in game design.

Educational Educators

Yikes. Zounds. Another disappointing teachers website. This one is called Educational Educators, and is sponsored by About.com. It purports to be Your guide to hundreds of educational web sites. And it is, if you define ‘Your guide’ as ‘A series of hyperlinks to hundreds of sites with little input as to the purpose or usefulness of those sites’.

Worse still, all of the input that Educational Educators provides about a site is positive. They’ve never seen a website that they don’t like, which serves as an indictment of their objectivity, and suggests that the site is merely a set of advertisements for those web sites that have curried favor with Educational Educators, in the form of advertising dollars or complementary hyperlink exchanges.

There are no actual reviews of educational sites here, only a set of categories and a number of sites under each topic with glowing words about how students love them, or how incredibly useful they are.

The online forums and chats are poorly attended with little insight into the fundamentals of good educational web site content development, and it is generally believed that our online hostess, Beth Lewis, exists only within the confines of the Educational Educators web server.

buzzcut.com

Buzzcut.com is a really awesome site that discusses everything about video game theory and critcism. Edited and produced by David Thomas, it features an open forum on a variety of topics including critical writing, games and society, books and articles, etc. On this particular page, David features video game vocabulary and a poster that describes the 20 aspects of what it feels like to play video games. You can download this poster for free.

Fantasy Stocks

Have you ever wanted to play the stock market with someone else's money? Well here's your chance. FantasyStocks.com, in it's fourth year, will generously give you $100,000 (fantasy dollars) to build your portfolio. All trades will cost you $25.00 from your fantasy dollars. Sounds interesting to me.

This on-line challenge is a FREE educational tool that can enrich your students' understanding of financial economics through a Web-based NYSE/NASDAQ stock market simulation. Students can learn how to do independent research on companies and industries, understand real financial charts, buy and sell stocks, and manage a portfolio of investments in a realistic setting without monetary risk. Students under 18 can participate, but they won't receive any prizes.

Each participant will be able to trade stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, AMEX, TSE, MSE, and other exchanges if available. I would be learning something just by knowing what each of these stood for.

Our eighth grade mathematics class investigates the stock market using Newspapers in Education (NIE). I think this site will bring a whole new meaning to the game. Students can now be actively involved on the computer and see what is happening daily.

Simulation Classification System

Chris Musslewaite, CEO of Discovery Learning, proposes a system to classify the levels of complexity in simulations in an article in ASTD's Learning Circuits Magazine. The goals of the sytem are to help trainers and facilitators become more confident in using simulations by giving them tools to describe their functionality and complexity when talking with clients and developers. The article includes matrices that map different criteria of simulation to trainer competencies and participant interactions.

Funbrain.com via Elementary Educators

I’ve worked as a computer support technician at a handful of elementary schools in the Cajon Valley Union School District; each school has a teacher designated as the Site Lead Technology Teacher, whose responsibility it is to help deal with technology issues on campus, including computer problems and, to a somewhat lesser extent, to attempt to help other site teachers incorporate technology into the curriculum.

Many of these teachers have done a good first pass over the net to locate decent sites for educational games and development of lesson plans. One site for educational software games that they virtually all point to is Funbrain. It seemed like a good idea to go to this site and see if it’s game software warranted all of the attention.

As it turns out, it really doesn’t. Virtually all of the games are of the ‘drill & kill’ variety (aka drill & practice, considered by most research to be the least effective type of educational software). Instructions on how to play the game are minimal, and always in text, never vocalized and/or animated via a PDA. As a result, for early elementary learners (K-2 or so), a teacher would have to mentor each student through the initial stages of each game.

I was mostly interested in games that worked on 1st and 2nd grade vocabulary. The available vocabulary games on funbrain are minimal; most of the games are mathematical in nature. There are far fewer in other lesson areas, such as history, science or language arts. I navigated through a few of the language arts and math games, and they all followed pretty much the same path. Given a small set of instructions, the player attempted to answer questions correctly. After each answer was submitted, the student was informed visually whether they answered right or wrong. The number of questions they answered correctly and incorrectly was recorded at the top of the browser window.

The problem had to do with the nature of the lesson design and the usability of the system. No lessons incorporated anything but rudimentary coaching (In the form of ‘pointers’ on where the student might be going wrong, or what they might focus on for optimal improvement). Of the little coaching that there was, all of it was textual in nature, never animated or via audio output. This seemed like a typical case where a conventional drill & kill paper and pencil lesson was dumped verbatim into a software game, instead of development of an alternative approach that made use of the inherent tools within the medium. From a usability standpoint, displays of questions and responses and scores were inconsistent between windows within a lesson, and between lessons within each area.

Overall, I found funbrain.com to be a poor website and a poor site name; it wasn’t very much fun, and I don’t believe that it will do much to stimulate a student’s brain.

Collective Detective

The Collective Detective is one of the newest forms of online communities. They participate in what are known as ARGs or Alternate Reality Games. These games can involve many elements both from the real and virtual world. These may include real world clues, phone calls, voicemail, email, and real people playing roles in real life. The Collective Detective collaborates to solve challenges and win prizes presented by other websites. Their track record shows that they are able to solve online puzzles at a fraction of the time of individual contestants. This “think tank” environment offers members an opportunity to learn together from experts in a variety of different fields. It also shows the types of productive social dynamics that are possible.

http://www.collectivedetective.org/

War Games

This website is an add on to the original Ghost Recon game. It is has been improved. What ghost recon is a simulation war game. People experience this game and get the feeling of what it is really like to be in a war-time situation. The creator of this website says military people who have been in combat say this is the most realistic war game they have ever played because you play against other people. The military is looking at using simulations similar to this to help train soldiers for combat. For those of us who have never been or even plan to be in combat, this game or simulation is perhaps the most realistic experience we can have.

Stupid Research Questions

In an article in the October, 2003 edition of his on-line newsletter, Play for Performance , Thiagi writes about the effectiveness of instructional games compared with other training methods. His response to the question of which is better can be summed up by the title of the article, “Stupid Research Questions.” He says that comparing training games and other training methods is like comparing apples and oranges. Both are “better” in certain situations and less appropriate in others. In comparing different training methods, it is critical to consider the purpose of the training and the nature of the participants, something to remember in any type of instructional design project.

Canadarm2 Astronaut Training System

Canadarm2 is a 35-foot crane-like machine aboard the International Space Station. Among other things, it is used to capture satellites and other free-flying objects in space. This is a difficult task that requires training in manual and visual dexterity. However, no practice was available once the astronauts arrived at the station. Through collaboration between Russian and Canadian space researchers, a simulator system has been developed that has the processing power to recreate the functions of the Canadarm2 and its interaction with other objects in space. The System for Maintaining and Monitoring Performance (SMP) On-Orbit Astronaut Training System consists of a small laptop computer which can interface with the station’s hand-controllers. It also uses a new simulation software tool known as SYMOFROS which was developed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The system was launched on-board the Soyuz Progress Transport on February 2, 2003.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/iss-03o.html

WhatIfSports.com

http://www.whatifsports.com/locker/default.asp

Here's one for the sports fans out there. This site provides inquisitive or wager-oriented sports aficionados with SimMatchup™ and SimLeague™. These simulations allow fans to pit teams against each other in simulated games based on team and individual player stats. Users aren't just limited to past teams either, since current and future teams can be compared.

The system provides play-by-play (for certain sports) and scoring breakdowns for simulated games and complete player stats, as well. It can even run a pair of teams against each other many time to create win/loss and point margin probabilities.

eLearning with Disney

Not surprisingly, Disney Online has a graphically rich selection of "learning" games for younger kids on their site. Actually, once you get through the very commercial sections promoting the latest movies and theme parks, these games and simulations seem to offer a nice variety of creative activities for younger kids. There is also an overview page for grown-ups describing the activities. Some of these activities include games about spelling, the alphabet, good manners, music, playing with clay and more. They seemed to incorporate a lot of interactivity - not just passive observation. While a few of them had some tie-ins to Disney products, most of them did not. The games I viewed seemed to load a bit slowly on my reasonably fast computer with cable modem, which could cause problems with the "short-attention-span" crowd. However, once a given activity or game loaded up, the animations and response times were pretty impressive.

24 Game

Do you want to brush up on your mental mathematics? Then, this game is for you. You are given 4 numbers that you must add, subtract, multiply, or divide to get the result of 24. Look at the example to the right. Can you get 24? How long did it take you? Can you get 24 using another sequence?

One possible solution ... give the last step first and then tell your solution
You can only use each number 1 time from the card.

24 ÷ 1 = 24
4 • 3 = 12
12 • 2 = 24
24 ÷ 1 = 24

The 24® game helps students reinforce problem solving and critical thinking. You can also play the First in Math® online math program.

My students loved to play this at the end of the period. There are 3 levels (1 dot, 2 dot, 3 dot) for each game. The cards with 1 dot are supposed to be the easiest. When I first began this game, I even found the 1 dot cards challenging. Encourage your students to find other methods of getting to 24 on each card.

There is a tournament every year in May at the Aerospace Museum. The atmosphere is unbelievable! Who ever thought kids would have FUN doing math?
 

QuarterMile Math Program

I have used this drill and practice math program in summer school to test the speeds of incoming sixth graders. QuarterMile Math is appropriate for grades K-9. The problems are randomly generated and the user receives plenty of practice. There are a variety of topics to choose from at each grade level.

I have mainly used this to help the students with their times tables. The program allows you to practice up to 12 x 12. If a student is having difficulty with a certain number, say 7's, he or she can practice that particular number until they feel confident.

The students enjoy the ability to choose between a horse or race car for their race. The students are in constant competition with themselves, and other classmates, to beat their personal best time. The program keeps track of the top 5 average for each category. This allows for benchmarks for every topic. The goal is to answer the questions correctly as quickly as possible.

QuaterMile Math is appropriate for both genders and has the capibility to build confidence quickly.

Encyclopedia of Propaganda

While researching the many flavors of wiki on the net, I came across a spin-off on Wikipedia. Disinfopedia is the home of the encyclopedia of propaganda. This site was started in March of 2003, and is now home to nearly 2,500 articles. The site is laid out like the Wikipedia site but has a stronger political stance. prwatch.org is the sponsor of the disinfopedia.

I enjoyed articles on 'doublespeak' learned the difference between "martyrs and suicide bombers," but particularly enjoyed an entry entitled "Weapons of Mass Deception."

Museum of Jurassic Technology

The Museum of Jurassic Technology is located in Los Angeles California and is an educational institution devoted the advancement and public appreciation of the lower Jurassic. It is geared not only to the academic looking to do scientific research, but also the general public. It gives visitors a “hands-on” view of Jurassic Technology. It puts an emphasis on the strange and unusual.


It tells the story of the Stink Ant of Cameroon. It sniffs in a fungus spore from the jungle floor which causes it to grow a large tubular formation on its back which in turn causes it change its behavior. It climbs trees, something its never done before, and sits on end of the limb of a tree until it dies. We also hear stories of bees which symbolically represent a person’s soul. Plato’s notion of the transmigration of souls holds that souls of quiet, sober people untinctured by philosophy come back to life as bees. Later, Mahomet, admitted bees, as souls to paradise. There are also several more modern stories to the same effect. The museum is chock full of such weird creatures and legends.

Degrees for Gamers

http://gamerschool.com/



So, you want a job in the video game industry? Well, you need a degree first. This university offers just that.

The University of Advancing Technology has tracks in game design and game programming for those who want to create games for a living. The courses available range from 2D and 3D game design to the "Psychology of Creativity" and "Applied Game Theory".

It will be interesting to see if more well known universities begin to follow suit, as the video game industry continues to prove itself a profitable industry and more game designers are needed to keep up with the demand.

Maryland Public Television education site provides more sizzle than steak

I came across this news release announcing Dollars and Sense, a new fun educational site produced by Maryland Public Television aimed at helping teenagers better understand money issues. Boy was I excited!

While the press release claims that Dollars and Sense was "developed in collaboration with educators and economic organizations, incorporates a hip design with interactive activities and tools to engage middle and high schoolers," the site falls way short of its billing. One "fun activity" in particular, All About the Benjamins, promises to teach teenagers about the history of money. In actuality, the lesson consists of four very trivial questions about money (e.g. Some coins are pickled before they're made.) and then a bunch of links to external sites.

One of the best "interactive" features was simply a graphically enhanced, interest rate calculator that revealed the true cost of purchases charged to a credit card.

While the graphics and web design are terrific, this site is seriously lacking in activities, real interactions or even intelligent content. I posted this to the blog because this is typical of a lot of sites that I have come across that promise interactivity, simulations and games but offer nothing close to it. It is clear that Maryland Public Television spent some money on this site (at least on graphic designers) and I'll go out on a limb a say that it was a complete waste of time and resources.

Candystand.com - the Teacher's Alternative

As teachers search for new ways of rewarding appropriate behavior and increasing student motivation, Candystand.com may serve as an effective tool. This website is so visually appealing that one visit there may cause your students to never crave the "real thing" again (not). The reverse may actually be true however, as this site's design could be blamed for creating hunger pangs. While a variety of games are available at this site, the line created around popular candy brands may be the game of choice. Candystand.com offers sports games, action games, card games, and puzzles.

So the next time you teachers want to break out that bag of candy, consider offering a coupon good for a free visit to Candystand.com. The dentist will love you and so will the teachers who firmly believe that sugar and hyperactivity have a direct correlation.

FlatWorld

FlatWorld is a project at the University of Southern California that mixes reality with an immersive virtual environment. Using rear projection screens and motion tracking, a specially designed room displays computer animation and graphics that change based on the position of the user. With stereoscopic technology, elements can even appear to move into the room. Surround sound, props, wind, and room vibrations add to the experience. The installation was designed to be easily constructed using reasonably low cost materials and equipment for simulations in the educational, military, and entertainment industries.

http://www.ict.usc.edu/disp.php?bd=proj_flatworld

WomenGamers.com

Hey ladies (and gentlemen), here is a site worth checking out! WomenGamers.com, whose slogan is “Because women do play,” aims to inform its audience of the latest industry trends and offer product reviews, game reviews, and informative gender-focused articles written by gamers for gamers. The “Reviews/Previews” portion of the site analyzes video games and gives them overall ratings of 0 (disaster) to 10 (awesome). Each review concludes with a “Marketing Efforts Toward Women” section which examines the game’s appeal to women gamers, including the effectiveness of the female characters and whether or not sexist themes are apparent. While you’re here, you might want to check out some women-and-gaming statistics.

Vortex for Windows

This simulation allows players to learn about PVA- Population Viability Analysis- a method that lets students study the process of extinction without having to travel to the far regions of the world to do so. Simulations have been run on the Florida Panther and Key Deer, Bairds Tapir, Sumatran Tiger, and Puerto Rican parrot. The variables that determine the survival of animals are population, environment, catastrophes, and harvests. Players can manipulate these variables then analyze the results. The results will detail population, extinction, gene transmission and inbreeding effects. Biology teachers could use this simulation to get students involved in learning and caring about animals and the environment.

Fun and Challenging Philosophy Games

This is a website created by the The Philosophy Magazine (TPM) and along articles on philosophical topics, it also has a section that contains 10 interactive games covering subjects as diverse as Ethics and Morality, Logic, Science and Religion. There is even a game entitled Shakespeare vs Brittany Spears. The most interesting games are the “Morality Play” and “So You Think You’re Logical”. In the former the participant answers a number of ethical and moral questions and when an answer violates the ethical consistency you have established by prior answers, the computer lets you know. At the end of the game, the computer gives you an analysis of your moral position and explains where your inconsistencies lie.

The Logic game is a set of four questions on which you test your reasoning ability. When you finish, you receive a report on how you did individually and in comparison with everyone else who has played. The computer also explains the correct answers when you finish playing.

Fun and Educational Online Games

Cooped up and don't know what to do? It can be a parents worst nightmare! Luckily, PBS Kids has a website designed to help (at least for a little while). The site offers games, music, stories, and coloring activities for all your child's (and maybe yours) favorite PBS cartoons. The best part is that children can learn while having fun. There are also links for parents and teachers. These links provide information related to the programming, and how to get the most out of it for children. Check it out with your little ones!