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达到工程设计决策。为了验证当前工程和商业专业学生的学习风格不同的假设，以及基于技术的学习可能更适合不同的学生群体，本项目将创建并使用一个基于网络的电脑游戏来在跨学科环境中测试这项研究。要探索的研究是：通过小组游戏引入概念是否能促进对跨学科材料的更深入理解？一款桌面游戏是由一名获得PI职业奖的MS学生制作的，模拟了大型制造企业的供应链，目的是让学生学习优化的基本原则；在这种情况下，试图最大化利润，同时尽量减少对环境的影响。这个项目将创建一个网页版本的游戏来测试第二个目标，今天的学生是否可以通过多次迭代的网页游戏来学习新的材料，以满足他们的学习风格？这是一个高潜力，高风险的项目，如果这个项目成功地证明了在游戏方法中使用基于网络的技术来有效地满足不同工程和商业学生群体的不同学习风格需求的可行性，那么对工程设计和决策的教学方法的更广泛影响可能会改变工程课程。其中的风险包括，尽管工科学生可能喜欢这种技术游戏方法，但这可能不是一种有效的学习机制，学生可能学不到想要的材料。第二个风险是，不同学生群体之间的“技术差距”可能没有缩小到足以确保促进多样性，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.