(U-WIRE) NORMAN, Okla. – Researchers at Oklahoma University have created an educational computer game that is currently being tested at seven Oklahoma schools.
The center delivered over 1,400 mobile computers containing the game, McLarin’s Adventure, late last year according to the center’s Web site.
Researchers have been working on the program since June 2006 and started testing it in classrooms in October 2007, said Scott Wilson, research professor for U.O.’s K20 center.
The program will be finished some time in 2009.
“This is cutting edge technology,” Wilson said. “Students can experience a totally new learning environment.”
Wilson said when he and his team looked into developing the game, they realized kids were spending more time playing video games than anything else.
“[Students’] engagement is huge indicator of success for us,” Wilson said.
McLarin’s Adventure is part of a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, said Lori Johnson public relations and marketing specialist of the center for educational and communication.
Wilson said to obtain the grant from the Department of Education, his department had to present the idea to a panel of three experts.
Before going in front of the panel, the center had to create a proposal that included a 40-page document detailing the project.
Wilson said all three experts gave McLarin’s Adventure the highest rating possible, calling it a “high quality game”.
“We’re not only delivering high quality products but we are producing as well,” Wilson said. “That speaks volumes on what we have accomplished.”
The game is a small scale online game similar to World of Warcraft, but, instead of being on a global network, limits to a classroom of 30, said Stanton White, computer science graduate student.
“Instead of fighting monsters, they use school based skills,” White said.
Wilson also states that even though the research team is close to the final stages of production, they are still perfecting the game.
“Pieces are still getting polished,” Wilson said. “It will be a much more playable system next year.”
The team consists of two graphic artists, two full time programmers and three student programmers.
“It’s respectable and it has been getting better and better,” said Josh England, fine arts senior and a member of the team.
“It’s a total group effort,” England said. “We all need each others input and advice.”
England also adds that the students are helping perfect the game by discovering any glitches.
“If they discover any bugs, they report them immediately to us and we will fix it,” England said.
White said even after the game is released the team still has a long way to go in taking feedback and trying to improve the game.
Wilson said the team is able to make upgrades every time a student logs in if it is needed.
“After we make an upgrade, will automatically update and load the new information when a student logs in,” Wilson said. “We are still trying to maximize the playing experience for all involved.”
England said the game is set up to make students use a wide variety of school based skills to complete levels of the game. For example, if a student’s avatar gets sick, the students must figure out how to mix the right chemicals to make the right medicine.
Then the students must write a report about their experiences as a class assignment.
Wilson claims digital game based learning has been around for a long time, but now that it is finally coming into the classroom it will allow students to learn in an environment that they are already comfortable in.
“There are so many games where the core components are killing people,” White said. “It is cool to make one for a better purpose.”