SGER: Assessment of Group Learning through Interactive Multimedia

这个小型探索性研究项目的重点是确定学习目标是否可以通过参与教育小组游戏活动有效地满足工程设计决策。为了验证这一假设，即目前的学生在工程和商业的学习风格不同，以技术为基础的学习可能更适合于不同的学生群体，本项目将创建和使用基于网络的计算机游戏来测试本研究在一个跨学科的setting.The研究要探讨的是：通过小组游戏的概念介绍促进跨学科材料的更深入的理解？一个棋盘游戏，由一个MS学生创建的PI的早期CAREER奖支持，模拟大型制造业务的供应链，目标是让学生学习优化的基本原则;在这种情况下，试图最大限度地提高利润，同时最大限度地减少对环境的影响。这个项目将创建一个基于网络的游戏版本来测试第二个目标，今天的学生是否可以通过玩多个迭代的基于网络的游戏来学习新的材料，这些游戏旨在满足他们的学习风格？这是一个高潜力，高风险的项目，如果这成功证明了在游戏方法中使用基于网络的技术的可行性，以有效地满足不同群体的工程和商业学生的不同学习风格的需求，对工程设计和决策的教学方法的更广泛的影响可能是工程课程的变革。所涉及的风险包括，虽然工程专业的学生可能会喜欢这种技术游戏的方法，这可能不是一个有效的学习机制，学生可能不会学习所需的材料。第二个风险是，不同学生群体之间的“技术差距”可能没有充分缩小，以确保推进多样性，而不是剥夺技术不熟练的学生的权利。

This Small Exploratory Research project is focused on determining whether learning objectives can be met effectively through engagement in educational group game play activity for engineering design decision-making. To test the hypothesis that the learning styles of current students in engineering and business differ, and that technology-based learning is perhaps more appropriate for a diverse student population, this project will create and use a network-based computer game to test this research in an interdisciplinary setting.The research to be explored is: Does introduction of concepts through group game play foster deeper understanding of interdisciplinary material? A board game, created by an MS student supported on an earlier CAREER award of the PI, simulate the supply chain for a large manufacturing operation, with the goal that students learn the underlying principles of optimization; in this case trying to maximize profit while minimizing environmental impact. This project will create a web-based version of the game to test the second objective, can today's student learn new materials by playing multiple iterations of a web-based game designed to meet their learning styles? This is a high potential, high risk project where if this successful demonstrates the feasibility of using web-based technologies in a gaming methodology to meet different learning style needs effectively for a diverse group of engineering and business students, the broader impact upon teaching methods in engineering design and decision-making could be transformative for the engineering curriculum. The risks involved include the concern that while engineering students may enjoy this technological gaming approach, this may not be an effective learning mechanism and the students may not learn the desired material. A second risk is that the "technology gap" between different groups of students may not have closed sufficiently to assure advancing diversity rather than disenfranchising less technically adept students.