Charles River City : an educational augmented reality simulation pocket PC game

Abstract

This thesis has designed and implemented Charles River City, an educational, location-based augmented reality simulation game that uses Pocket PC devices and GPS technology. As mobile devices and processing power become more common and affordable, high school teachers can take advantage of these technological advances to explore new channels for teaching and motivating students. The Charles River City game seeks to engage middle to high school students in learning science in a fun and innovative way. The story and background in the game is loosely based on a previous work called River City, a desktop multi-player virtual simulation game. In Charles River City, students work in teams to investigate the cause of several illnesses in a virtual town. Through interviewing virtual characters, gathering water samples, and analyzing collected data, students learn to think and solve problems as a scientist would. A test run of the game shows that the simulation game is an effective teaching tool that gives students a hands on experience in solving a real world problem that is fun and challenging.