Syllabus

Week 1 – Introduction and Overview of Course

Overview
- The course will explore educational games and simulations and several computer modeling platforms. We will focus on design and research issues pertinent to learning through simulations and games. Throughout the course we will explore concepts in modeling, simulation, and gaming common to many domains, and investigate specific applications from a variety of fields ranging from weather to ecology to traffic management.
Game Brainstorming and Categorization (PDF)
- Initial Game Definition (PDF)
Participatory Simulations Introduction - Live Long and Prosper
Game Exercise (Link to SDSU EDTEC 670)
- Responses (PDF)

Week 2 – What is a Simulation? What is a Game?

Activity - Finding Happiness on a Checkerboard
- What defines a game? simulation? model?
- What makes a game educational?
KS. Intro to Edutainment - Civilization.
Issues in Educational Game Design
- Who is our audience?
- What games do they want to play?
- What do they find entertaining?
Readings
- Schelling. Micromotives and Macrobehaviors.
- Rieber. "Seriously considering play: Designing interactive learning environments based on the blending of microworlds, simulations, and games."
- Squire. "Reframing the Cultural Space of Computer and Video Games."

Week 3 – Exploring "Educational" Simulation and Games

Civilizations of Learning - Kurt Squire (2/20)
- Powerpoint Presentation
Readings
- SimCity 2000 – Power, Politics and Planning
- The Art of Contested Spaces (PDF)
- Holland, Squire and Jenkins. "Theory by Design." (PDF)
- Becoming-state: The bio-cultural imperialism of Sid Meier's Civilization
Assignment
- Paper - Designing Curricula for Games (PDF)

Week 4 – Edutainment in the Classroom

Mayor for a Day - SimCity
SimCity in the Classroom Links
What do you learn through these environments?
How can curriculum determine the learning experience?
Readings
- Digital Game Based Learning
  - Chapter 4: New Hope for Learner-Centered Training and Education
  - Chapter 6: Why and How it Works

Week 5 – Designing and Developing Games to Teach

Activity - Designing a Board Game
- What are the issues in designing an educational game?
- How do we solve these issues?
Current Issues in Game Design
- Gender issues in game deisgn and use
- Integrating innovations into schools
- Transferring knowledge
Games to Teach - Harnessing Current Tools for the Classroom (3/4 KS)
- Case Study - Environmental Detectives and Supercharged
Readings
- Introduction to Board Game Design (Link to SDSU EDTEC 670)
- Further Reflections on Barbie to Mortal Kombat
- Cuban. Oversold and Underused - Computers in the Classroom.
Assignment
- Documentation and Presentation of an Educational Board Game (PDF)

Week 6 – Game Play and Participatory Simulations

Game Play
Board Game Presentations
Participatory Simulations - Understanding Systems from the Inside
- Big Fish Little Fish
- Comparing Platforms PDAs and Wearable Computers
- PDA Participatory Simulations
Readings
- Colella. "Participatory Simulations."

Week 7 – Exploring Simulations

Exploring Simulations online with Riverdeep
ExploreScience
Educational Object Economy
MASTER Tools @ Shodor
HHMI Biological Simulations
Stock Market Game
What is a simulation?
Overview of Simulation Environments
- Agent Based (StarLogo, AgentSheets, Stagecast) vs. Aggregate (Stella, Vensim, ModelBuilder)
- Programming vs. Equations vs. Visual
- General Purpose vs. Specific Domain
Simple Models in Maple and Excel
Readings
Assignment
- Designing Evaluation Criteria for Academic Simulations (PDF)
- See this site for Rubric Info: Site

Week 8 – Simulation Design - Adventures in Modeling

Adventures in Modeling - Exploring Complex Dynamic Systems w/ StarLogo.
- The next four weeks will be dedicated to developing simulations in StarLogo (and perhaps other tools)
- Introduction to Decentralized Systems and Agents Interacting with the Environment
- Information about StarLogo
- Information about Adventures in Modeling
27 Blind Mice – Exploring Decentralized Systems
Participatory Simulation (Weather Permitting)- Environmental Detectives
Readings
- Klopfer, Squire and Jenkins. "Environmental Detectives - PDAs as a Window into a Virtual World."
- Decentralized Modeling and Decentralized Thinking in Feurzeig and Roberts
- Adventures in Modeling - Introductory Chapters
Assignment
- Presentations on First Sets of Models
- Post Challenges to Design Discussion Area

Week 9 – Simulation Design - Adventures in Modeling

Adventures in Modeling
- Environmental Feedback and Defining Agent Characteristics
Participatory Simulation- The Virus Game
Evaluating Models
- Good Models and Bad Models – What defines a “good model?”
- Idea Models – How much detail/reality need to go into a model?
Readings
- Adventures in Modeling
- Growing Artificial Societies
- (Student Selected Readings on Models of Systems)
Assignment
- White Paper on Model Proposal (PDF)
- Post Challenges to Design Discussion Area

Week 10 – Simulation Design - Adventures in Modeling

Adventures in Modeling
- Agents Interacting with Each Other
Check out Terrarium!
Readings
- Adventures in Modeling
- Rieber and Matzko. "Serious Design for Serious Play."
Assignment
- Model Sketch and Areas for Exploration (PDF)
- Post Challenges to Design Discussion Area
- Presentations on Models

Week 11- Simulation Design - Adventures in Modeling

Begin Final Models
Introduction to Instructional Design
Readings
- Instructional Design Methodologies and Techniques
- Learning Theory in Practice - Learner Centered Design
- Evaluation Methods and Procedures for studying learner's use of media
Assignment
- Final Model and Analysis of Model (In class presentations) (PDF)

Week 12 – Educational Research - How do people learn from simulations?

Week 13 – Exploring Alternative Simulation Platforms

Week 14 – Final Project Presentations

Assignment
- Final Project - Design and conduct an experiment on how people learn from one of the simulations that you have created. (PDF)

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