"I Betcha" development is running smoothly!

With a game concept decided, Muzzy Lane's designers are working to build the story, game play functions and game world for the latest installment in the ClearLab Project. "I Betcha" will have students racing table-top slot cars to become the best racer in the school!

I remember the science fairs of elementary school: the baking soda volcano, sponge-based salt crystals and the many variations of moldy bread. These classic projects always seemed to bring science to life in an exciting, cool, and often gross way; but is the elementary science fair the last time students get to be so involved with science?

Have some opinions on the ClearLab project? Want to meet others involved? Come on in and introduce yourself!

People of all ages use social media like Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot. Students, in particular, make good use of it; and since it has become mobile, it can be difficult to deter tweeting and posting during class. Some teachers, however, have opted to not deter, but encourage the use of social media in the classroom. There are a number of educators who utilize applications like twitter to take questions from students, conduct in-class research and do classroom activities.

Hi there;

My name is Chris Bazett and I have recently joined the ClearLab project team as a game design intern at Muzzy Lane Software. I am currently one semester shy of completing a Masters of Engineering Management degree from Duke University, and in the educational realm have experience in curriculum redevelopment (undergraduate engineering) and sailing instruction. I have always been fascinated by the prospect of finding elegant solutions to learning challenges, and I believe there is enormous potential in the serious games space. That's why I am energized by the thought of contributing to and learning from this exciting ClearLab initiative.

Over the coming months, I look forward to continuing the ClearLab tradition of engaging the community for great pedagogical, philosophical, and design discussions. You can also expect to see regular updates about the progress we make as we move through the summer.

As Sandra mentioned in early May, we are particularly interested in focusing on the 'I Betcha' virtual laboratory. I have read through the blog archives and have already gleaned some important insights (thank you!), and I am optimistic about the continued collaborative development of this game moving forward.

Regards,

Chris

Have some opinions on the ClearLab project? Want to meet others involved? Come on in and introduce yourself!

Making science fun is an important initiative for the federal government. They have been concerned about the competitiveness of our future generations because students today seem uninterested in science and mathematics. The idea is that if young people do not enjoy STEM subjects, they will not pursue future STEM careers, and the United States will see less and less innovative scientists coming out of school. So, the government has been soliciting organizations for more innovative ways to teach these subjects in a way that students are engaged by them.

Science learning games have been a focal point of government solicitations for some time. Serious games are a great way to take an interactive and expensive subject and make it engaging and fun for young students. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is one division which has been active in releasing proposals for these learning games.

Have some opinions on the ClearLab project? Want to meet others involved? Come on in and introduce yourself!

Hello everyone,

My name is Sandra Goncalves and I am the community liason for the ClearLab Project at here at Muzzy Lane Software. Ryan has left Muzzy Lane to pursue other interests and we wish him the best in his endeavors. He is a great game designer and we hope for his success.

There are a lot of learning games out there made for parents to buy and bring home to their children; but while playing science games at home is a great way for children to practice, we are designing the ClearLab games as tightly linked activities to operate with the school’s lesson plan as a core part of the curriculum. If the serious learning games can work like a lab activity or a group project, the learning game would, ideally, be more universally adopted and easily implemented in the classroom.