EXP: GeoGames - online map games for teaching and learning through a real-world spatial perspective

在这个网络学习：转变教育实验项目中，研究人员的目标是学习如何促进地理空间思维技能，以及使用地理空间收集的数据来解决复杂问题的能力。正在改进的技术利用在线地图来定位GeoGames中的场景，以便学习者在与他人参与解决GeoGame中的现实世界问题时可以访问真实的地理信息系统、遥感、社会经济、农业和其他数据和模型。重点是帮助学习者在思考和解决问题时获得并使用空间视角。地理游戏带来了现实世界的挑战，需要以类似游戏的方式收集跨地理区域的大规模数据来吸引学习者；学习者使用通过导航地图并相互配合找到的数据来解决问题。研究是在一个名为绿色革命的特殊地理游戏的背景下进行的。在该模拟中，学生扮演发展中国家农村农民的角色，并相互互动处理水和天气问题。学员导航地理空间表示(世界地图)以访问真实数据，这些真实数据使他们能够一起做出预测，并共同制定策略，以应对即将到来的风暴、虫害和其他现实世界的飓风。从该项目中已经学到的一点是，在这种模拟的现实世界背景下共同解决问题有助于更好地了解发展中国家农民生活中所涉及的困难以及可能导致成功的一些战略。这个新项目的研究重点是在解决复杂的现实世界问题时可能考虑的因素的复杂性和学习结果之间的权衡。GeoGame技术及其使用将地理空间技术、游戏和社交网络的优势与现实世界数据的可用性相结合，以体验式、协作性和引人入胜的方式促进对真实世界事实以及复杂、相互关联的人类、环境和技术系统的了解。政策制定者告诉我们，地理空间视角在解决许多社会紧迫问题(例如，经济、农业、气候变化、交通、救济、城市规划、紧急服务)方面至关重要。GeoGames的这种方法可以提供一种引人入胜和广泛适用的方式，教育未来的政策制定者以全球视角看待他们所解决的全球和当地问题。这种方法还可能提供一种方法，帮助公众认识到世界的联系、地方政策决策的广泛影响以及在制定政策时必须考虑的问题。

In this Cyberlearning: Transforming Education EXP project, the investigators are aiming to learn how to promote geo-spatial thinking skills and ability to use data gathered geo-spatially to solve complex problems. The technology being refined leverages on-line maps to situate scenarios in GeoGames so that learners have access to real GIS, remote sensing, socioeconomic, agricultural and other data and models as they engage with others to solve real-world problems in the GeoGame. The focus is on helping learners gain and use a spatial perspective in their thinking and problem solving. Geogames present real-world challenges that require large-scale data collected across geographical areas in game-like ways to draw in the learners; the learners solve problems using the data found through navigating the maps and in conjunction with each other. Research is carried out in the context of a particular GeoGame called Green Revolution. In that simulation, students take on the roles of rural farmers in a developing country and interact with each other to deal with water and weather issues. Learners navigate geo-spatial representations (world maps) to access real data that allow them to make predictions together and develop strategies together for making it through coming storms, pest infestations, and other real-world hazzards. Already learned in that project is that solving problems together in such a simulated real-world context promotes better understanding of the difficulties involved in the lives of farmers in developing countries and some of strategies that might lead to success. Research in this new project focus on trade-offs between complexity of the factors that might be considered in solving complex real-world problems and learning outcomes. The GeoGame technology and its use integrate the strengths of geo-spatial technologies, gaming, and social networking with availability of real-world data to promote learning about real-world facts and also complex, interlinked human, environmental, and technological systems in an experiential, collaborative, and engaging way. The focus is at the college level but ultimately could be appropriate for high-schoolers, middle-schoolers, and the general population.Policy people tell us that a geo-spatial perspective is essential in addressing many of society's pressing issues (e.g., economics, agriculture, climate change, transportation, relief, urban planning, emergency services). This approach of GeoGames may provide an engaging and broadly-applicable way to educate future policy makers in taking a global perspective on both the global and local problems they address. The approach may also provide a way to help the public appreciate the connectedness of the world, the broad implications of local policy decisions, and the issues that must be considered in policy making.