Arcadia Resource Center: Targeted research towards a Serious Games Pathway

Terc Inc, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

This is a targeted research project that studies the venue of serious games as a vehicle for engaging the public with NSDL resources. It is being undertaken by the Educational Gaming Environments group (EdGE). EdGE is developing and studying the Arcadia Resource Center, a prototype transmedia venue for NSDL resources to serve an existing serious game population in a state-of-the-art virtual world with associated hand-held and social networking media. In this project, a small-scale environmental climate-crisis game is being designed and tested. The Arcadia Resource Center is being used to disseminate game resources from the NSDL Pathway "Climate Literacy Energy Awareness Network" (CLEAN) for use by players in this game. EdGE is also bringing together key partners in the area of serious games along with members of NSDL's CLEAN Pathway and the STEM exchange initiative to create an initial design for a Serious Games Pathway. Expected outcomes from the project include: * A new audience of lifelong learners using NSDL resources; * An increased quality of STEM-based serious games through use of NSDL resources; * New possible models for using NSDL resources with gamers and game developers, including a Serious Game Pathway; and * Models of new modes of learning, assessment, and research (such as "lifelong learning chronicles") that game players can use to maintain their STEM resources for use in multiple venues, and also that educators and researchers can use to study how NSDL assets are being used in knowledge building communities.