STTR Phase I: Digital Immersive Gaming Infrastructure for Innovating Undergraduate STEM Courses via an Immersive Game-Based Approach to Teaching and Learning

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This STTR Phase I project's broader/commercial impact is to produce a replicable education platform that can be applied to many types of higher education courses. The initial commercialization will focus on information systems/information technology courses because it is a content area taught in all major universities and colleges, often in multiple departments. The project is to be designed to increase student interest, engagement, knowledge retention, and content mastery, particularly for students with diverse educational needs. The innovation will lead to increased pursuit of STEM-related careers, as well as a larger number of STEM-literate individuals entering the workforce. The higher education market is evolving, leading institutions of higher education to seek new models to attract students to and retain them in STEM. As traditional print textbooks disappear, they seek new business models for the purchase/acquisition of course content. Students desire education that not only prepares them for a competitive job market but is also meaningful to their lives. Publishers are seeking new approaches that enable them to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented market. The overall market is interested in analytics and this project provides a platform addressing the needs of all three stakeholders.The project proposes to design and develop a model and content authoring/delivery platform for STEM courses using video games and stories. The project provides experiential learning to increase interactivity and relevance of traditional large lecture classes by providing novel learning resources for students and classroom management tools for faculty. Specifically, the project will: 1) use a video game, accessed both at home and in lab environments, to provide the overarching framework for a college course; 2) embed meaningful stories and case studies, providing students with context for personal reflection and group work, as well as to ground core concepts; 3) provide lab and homework activities reflecting the overarching game, content, and stories; 4) provide instructor support materials and management tools; and 5) construct analytic tools for use by faculty, authors, and publishers. In Phase I, a prototype module will be developed. As traditional textbooks disappear; publishers and faculty are seeking new platforms to transform classrooms into interactive, adaptive learning environments. This project integrates pervasive technologies such as tablet computers/smartphones, collaboration/social media tools, and video games with effective problem-centered teaching methods.