John B. Connally High School
Video Game Design
Current Project: Serious gaming as an educational approach: Designing initiatives to engage at-risk students with Geo-sciences and hands on computational skills
Organizations in the Earth and environmental sciences need a productive workforce with the capacity to meet dynamic, non-linear, and multi-dimensional challenges. A host of factors such as: smarter development, population growth, climate change, mitigation needs, monitoring requirements and human-induced pressures on natural resources exacerbate the need for skilled 21st century professionals.
According to feedback from prospective employers, students with a strong background in science and technical skills combined with the ability to work collaboratively, understand the context of decision making and policy implementation, and communicate to diverse stakeholders will be competitive in the current and anticipated job market. The demand for trained professionals are expected to grow 78% nationally and 48% in Texas from 2006 to 2016 (US Dept of Labor) emphasizing the need for improved mechanisms to attract, engage, train, and ultimately recruit the next generation of geoscientists.
Connally High School in Pflugerville, Texas is responding through a combined Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathmatics (STEAM) focused curricula. The new serious game training program brings an at-risk high school perspective and builds an audience through digital media. To date students have created STEAM video games that focus on green energy, health and wellness, Texas Parks and Wildlife or the Formula1/Circuit of Americas. Next steps include a planned experimental design to evaluate social and science-based learning through the development of serious game applications for the Earth.
Students are emerging workforce ready with skill sets in computational programming and in human dimensions. The program is making a digital difference by leveraging creative uses of digital platforms to deliver impactful stories to the Pflugerville school district and beyond. Games for Serious Change: Social Games for the Digital Age, a 4-year career path program involves parents, families and local communities for innovation and evolution. This presentation will present stories and games from the students as they give their definition and voice to what it means to be local in the mobile world and how geosciences topics are incorporated into the games.
According to feedback from prospective employers, students with a strong background in science and technical skills combined with the ability to work collaboratively, understand the context of decision making and policy implementation, and communicate to diverse stakeholders will be competitive in the current and anticipated job market. The demand for trained professionals are expected to grow 78% nationally and 48% in Texas from 2006 to 2016 (US Dept of Labor) emphasizing the need for improved mechanisms to attract, engage, train, and ultimately recruit the next generation of geoscientists.
Connally High School in Pflugerville, Texas is responding through a combined Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathmatics (STEAM) focused curricula. The new serious game training program brings an at-risk high school perspective and builds an audience through digital media. To date students have created STEAM video games that focus on green energy, health and wellness, Texas Parks and Wildlife or the Formula1/Circuit of Americas. Next steps include a planned experimental design to evaluate social and science-based learning through the development of serious game applications for the Earth.
Students are emerging workforce ready with skill sets in computational programming and in human dimensions. The program is making a digital difference by leveraging creative uses of digital platforms to deliver impactful stories to the Pflugerville school district and beyond. Games for Serious Change: Social Games for the Digital Age, a 4-year career path program involves parents, families and local communities for innovation and evolution. This presentation will present stories and games from the students as they give their definition and voice to what it means to be local in the mobile world and how geosciences topics are incorporated into the games.
Summer STEM Incubator 2012
http://gameincubator2012.weebly.com
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Summer STEAM Incubator 2011
http://gamesnakeitm.weebly.com
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