Volume 1 No.

1 - Winter/Spring 2005

simZine
A NEWSLETTER ABOUT GAMES AND SIMULATIONS FOR EDUCATORS

Screen Shots! ...page 2

by Bill Halverson
Welcome to simZine...
From the editor
simPortal ...page 3
by Melanie Zibit
Welcome to a new era of teaching and learning! Simula-
tions and Games for learning are showing up at every
age level. Users stand in line for hours for the latest game
Broadening Awareness ...page 4 hardware and software. Game designers recognize the
by Dr. David Gibson and Melanie Zibit power of “playing to learn” and are building sophisticated
educational games. For example, this Christmas, the
Games in the Classroom ...pages 5-7 number one toy for 3-7 year olds was the V-Smile by
An Interview with Dr. Peggy Benton VTech. It is marketed as an educational learning system
that teaches children basic school skills using interactive
TV gaming! There is now a new generation of people 90
Observations/Games & Learning
million strong (Beck and Wade 2004) who are growing up with video games.
An Interview with Dr. Mike Searson ...pages 8-10
There are stores, magazines, websites, blogs, and user groups dedicated to this
gamer generation. Many non-gamers think that simulations and games are a big
Upcoming Conferences ...pages 11, 12 waste of time. But not all! Could there be positive effects from using simulations
and games? Both educational and business researchers are beginning to find
simSchool Visual Overview ...page 13 out!!

Will younger teachers think & Business is starting to take note of how future gamer generation employees
could affect business organizations. Their recent research indicates that
learn differently? ...page 14 frequent users of this medium are better at multi-tasking, collaborative decision
by Melanie Zibit
making and leadership (Beck and Wade 2004). Business is starting to get it….
how about educators?
simSchool at Elearn! ...page 15
Educators want to understand how this gamer generation learns best and are
Register ...page 16 asking questions such as “What is it about simulations and games that makes
them compelling learning environments? What are the benefits of learning
simSchool Newsletter through games?
What effect could
Bill Halverson
this medium have
David Gibson
on how future
A New Age of Teaching and
Melanie Zibit teachers teach?” Learning Using Simulations and Games
Mark Favazza
Requires a New eZine. Introducing
Lauren Greenberg As educators,
many of us have simZine!! A Newsletter about Games
seen the power of and Simulations for Educators.
this new medium
and have asked,
"How
How do we learn more about appropriate simulations and games for use as
instructional tools for learning? Where do we find out what others are thinking?
What simulations and games are other educators using in the classroom? Lastly,
simSchool.. a powerful online learning experience
what is the current research saying regarding the use of simulations and games
that builds confidence in the classroom. as teaching and learning tools? We at simSchool want to know too!! So, we
[Link] started simZine!!
 Screen shots: inside this issue
by Bill Halverson

.....Welcome to the first issue of “simZine.” We are interested in your comments. If you know of
interesting stories or people using simulations and
Our goal is to produce an eZine for educators and games in the classroom please let us know. If you
others who are interested in understanding the know of any research going on in this field, let us
power and value of using simulations and games as know. Or, if there is simply some interesting nugget
instructional tools for learning and want to learn you want to share, I am always checking my email at
more!! billh@[Link].
In this Inaugural issue, we include interviews with
two leading researchers in educational simulations
and games. Dr. Peggy Benton, Professor of Instruc- A Call to Educational Gamers!
tional Technologies (ITEC) at San Francisco State
University (SFSU) tells simSchool, “Games provide Do you know someone working in the
powerful learning environments where the player
field of educational simulations and
can take risks without the “sting of failure.” A player
tries over and over again, moving toward excellence, games or using them in the classroom.
and contrasts that with what happens in school. We are on the look-out for people who
Dr. Mike Searson, Executive Assistant to the Presi- have exciting ideas about educational
dent at Kean University in Union, New Jersey talks
about his long-held interest in the complex cognitive games and simulations to interview
processes inherent in play and expresses the irony for our next issue and beyond of
that many people think games should not be part of “simZine” .
education.

These interviews are part of simSchool’s efforts to

investigate the frontier of educational games and to Thanks for being part of this new and exciting era of
share information and resources with the education-
al community. Highlights from leaders in educational
teaching and learning…. Play to Learn!! ❧
games will be a regular feature of each newsletter.
We hope the insights from these pioneers will prove
useful in your own work...Stay tuned!

Also, in this issue are selections of recent research,

articles, conferences and presentations relevant to
simulations and games for educators. We introduce
the new “simPortal” where you can find a wide
variety of resources along with simulation and game
information.

In this issue are excerpts from an interview with

simSchool Co-PI Dr. David Gibson conducted on
the Lucas Foundation radio. You can go to our sim-
Portal to read a review of the newly released book
“Got Game…How the Gamer Generation is Reshap-
ing Business Forever" by Beck and Wade.

2 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

simPortal: opening the door to resources
for educational simulations and games
by Melanie Zibit

Overview of simPortal Sample book review found in simPortal:

simSchool wants to keep you informed about this ex- Got Game: How the Gamer Generation
citing world of games and simulations. Go to simPortal
[Link] to find the Is Reshaping Business Forever, John C.
latest articles, research, and other resources related Beck, Michell Wade
to today’s exciting world of educational games and
simulations. Once on simPortal, select simSchool Think video games are kids’ stuff? Think again.
Resources; then scroll down to select “Games and Provocative new data show that video games
Simulations” and browse recent articles by innova- have created a new generation of employees and
tors and international educational gaming experts and executives that will dramatically transform the
researchers. Here are two exciting resources to give workplace. Got Game reveals the profound impact
you a preview of the kinds of items you can find. that the “gamer generation” (already bigger than the
baby boom) will have on the future of business. While
games have made this group dramatically different in
terms of their attitudes, expectations, and abilities, the
Sample article found in simPortal: potential of this generation has scarcely been noticed
in most organizations. But managers won’t be able to
Video Game Studies and the Emerging ignore gamers for long. Comprised of millions of rising
professionals in the U.S. alone, the gamer generation
Instructional Revolution by Joel Foreman
will ultimately dominate the workforce – and they are
already changing the rules of business. Through
An additional development in learning and technology
a large scale survey and hundreds of interviews,
is the emergence of “Video Game Studies” as an
strategists John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade find
academic field in higher education. While this trend that gaming is not a time sink, but an amazingly
may appear recent and relatively marginal, Joel effective training camp for critical business skills. All
Foreman’s account indicates that it has already gained those hours immersed in game culture have created
considerable momentum as more scholars explore masses of employees with unique attributes: bold but
the possibilities of gaming as a legitimate vehicle of measured risk taking, an amazing ability to multi-task,
pedagogy and curricular reform. After surveying the
growth of this field, Foreman considers how gaming
and unexpected leadership skills. ❧
technology can allow students to construct new
knowledge as they navigate through sophisticated
virtual environments suited to different disciplines
Call for articles or contributions!!
of study. The future of gaming technology in higher
education, Foreman argues, will largely depend on You can help make simPortal a com-
the increasing demand of students who seek to bridge
the gap between their technological interests and their
prehensive, state-of-the-art resource.
academic coursework. As Send us your favorite articles, web sites,
with other innovations in graphics, and films. In the future we
technology, the primary will have a peer-reviewed journal so
impetus for revolutionary
change will come from a that all educators can publish work and
new generation of learners make it available to the educational
and aspiring professionals. gaming and simulation community.

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 3

 Broadening awareness of
Educational simulations and games
by Dr. David Gibson and Melanie Zibit

Here is a snippet from the interview in which David

DAVID GIBSON - HONORARY describes simSchool:
LUCAS SCHOLAR SPEAKS ABOUT “simSchool provides teacher practitioners and preser-
vice teachers with an opportunity to practice instruction
SIMSCHOOL based on understanding students’ personalities and
learning styles. The idea is that there should be a flight
simulator-like game for teachers to experiment with the
NICASIO, CA - On September 14-16, 2004 processes of teaching and see the impact they have in
classroom. The two most important pieces that we are
David Gibson visited Skywalker Ranch building into the simulator are addressing How do you
learn to be a teacher? How do you do the processes
after being selected as a George Lucas of planning, thinking and seeing what students are like
Educational Foundation Faculty Associate. before they enter the classroom by reading student
records, understanding some things about their per-
He got to meet George Lucas and other sonalities, their capabilities and their learning styles;
and How do you use the information about individual
foundation leaders during the visit. You students to plan lessons and activities that address
as many of the students learning needs as can be ad-
can listen to David’s interview on the Lucas dressed at one time.
weekly radio show where he talks about
simSchool, “a flight simulator for teachers.” The idea is that there should be a flight
simulator-like game for teachers to ex-
periment with the processes of teaching
and the impacts they have in classroom.

In doing projects and authentic learning, “How can you

creatively group students so that individually they all
have a chance to learn and grow together?”

The way simSchool will work is that there will be a

database of about 600-1000 realistic student profiles.
Each will have personality factors, emotional factors,
academic development factors and learning prefer-
ences that will operate as a hidden set of variables
when the teachers try out their ideas in the observable
arena. For example, say, today we are going to watch
a movie and discuss it. How many kids will that fit and
for how long? We would like student teachers, new
teachers, and even experienced teachers to reflect on
❧
their teaching to see their work in a new light.

4 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

Games in the Classroom
An interview with Dr. Peggy Benton with the simSchool staff

Dr. Peggy Benton, Lucas Foundation She is excited and even if she fails, she is willing to try
over and over again, striving to excel. She knew there
Fellow & Professor at San Francisco was a way to win and she was going to find it. She
State, talks about the potential of practiced, and she was motivated to keep trying. It is
games in the classroom the ability to learn without the “sting of failure” that I
find so powerful about learning through games. Seeing
the potential of games through my daughter’s experi-
ences is what made me aware of their importance to
education. She took the learning she found there and
transferred it into real world situations. She ultimately
has become a learner who wants a rich learning situa-
tion. She is now creating her own computer graphics.

In the 70’s I was a rehabilitation therapist working with

adults with traumatic brain injuries. They needed to
rebuild huge repertoires of skills. They needed much
more practice, informative feedback, and careful
sequencing of cognitive and motor tasks than any-
one could provide. They needed more motivation to
become successful at tasks worthy of adult respect.
I began to research and develop automated learn-
simSchool: When did you first become aware ing systems and found that in the 80’s microcomput-
of the potential for games/simulations for learning ers could provide a learning environment for games
and what was it that piqued your interest? and simulations that we could adapt for their needs.
Along with colleagues, we used commercial games or
PB: I was not the typical learner in school. I didn’t authored our own simulations not only to retrain skills
find much in school that was relevant. As Albert Ein- but also to document and track success. Seeing the
stein said, “I have been educated all my life except results we were getting opened my eyes to the power
for the intervals in school.” I managed to do well, but of computer -delivered games and simulations for
found it an enormous waste of time and not meaning- learning.
ful.
Another event that led me to be interested in games
My daughter was the same way. I remember her not was my own reaction to school work. When I was
wanting to do a ditto sheet she was supposed to fill-in. working on my dissertation there were long periods of
I told her that she had to do it because it was what research and writing with very few positives, and I did
she was supposed to do. She did it, but didn’t turn it not know whether I was going to get it done. Just fac-
in. When I watched my daughter use educational ing it became difficult. What I started to do was play
games and saw how actively engaged she was, how a game for the first ten minutes. My brain was a little
quickly she learned, and how much she learned, it was more turned on and I felt better about working, more
so much more than her typical classroom experience. engaged. My mind was more active. I am not sure
When playing a game or simulation, she took a role why it happened, but this experience made me more
and acted as if the scenario was real, responding and interested in the idea of gaming.
doing more and more. She clearly understands the
scenario as a situation, jumps into it as reality-based,
role-plays, and moves toward a goal.

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 5

 simSchool: What is it about simulations/games classroom, under the teacher’s radar. They are inter-
that makes them compelling learning environ- acting, creating community to fill up the time. When
ments? today’s adults grew up, they took time to write out their
thoughts. This generation writes in stream of con-
PB: When I think about games as being compelling sciousness, whatever is coming to them. It is quick,
learning environments, what comes to mind is how abbreviated, so they can get an idea quickly and ask
visually beautiful they are, such elaborate images! But for information and feedback and relate to colleagues.
more importantly, they spawn active engagement, e.g.,
doing something, seeing immediate results, making re- simSchool: What do you see as some of the
visions and if that doesn’t work, trying something new. benefits of playing games?
This process is just like a scientist, the willingness to
try again and again, moving toward a goal, making PB: Unlike the classroom environment, games allow
progress, working as fast as you can , e.g., rapid en- “private learning.” Instead of a group of 30 class-
gagement, rapid feedback and doing more and more mates and a teacher “evaluating what you do”, it is you
to do better. against the game. As a private learner, you probably
take more risks. It is important to take risks if you are
to grow. Yet, children become very risk adverse as
they go through school. Teachers today, too, have
Games spawn active engagement, e.g., become very risk adverse. If you loose your dignity in
doing something, seeing immediate front of classmates and teachers, you pull back and
get more protective. To grow we have to take the infor-
results, making revisions and if that mation from our successes AND our failures. Games
doesn’t work, trying something new. allow you to hone risk taking. You improve what you
do little by little, a sort of titration. You are taking small
steps and if you are not successful you don’t have to
step all the way back. You get closer and closer to the
goal. The risk that you take is a calculated one, not
Emotion plays a role in the desire to play games. a wild one. Taking risks is the only way we are going
Children experience joy when they succeed at what to get to innovation. We need to encourage people
they are doing. In games, efforts move toward the to move forward and to think outside the box. When
positive, toward success. We see the excitement, the something you try doesn’t work, try something else,
responses, that allows players to encode learning as e.g., calculated and successive growth. Games allow
a positive event. Not only do players feel good them- you to do this in a safe environment.
selves, but they retain what they are learning. If emo-
tions are attached to an event then we remember it. In Our educational system has not tapped into the
school, when students are memorizing something to motivation of our young people. In classrooms where
get something done, the mood is just flat. The typical there are 25 students, one teacher cannot provide
classroom doesn’t have much joy, but instead student enough feedback. Teachers are judged unfairly. No
performance is aimed at the avoidance of failure. human being could respond to so many students. If a
student asks a teacher a question, they may answer
If we look at experimental psychology, the psychology but if the student doesn’t understand, s/he doesn’t ask
of learning, we see that game developers are tapping again. With a simulation, a player can keep asking
into all those parameters that affect learning. Games over and over again, moving toward excellence. In
present a situation or task at a level the learner can playing a game, my daughter received immediate,
handle; the learner makes a rapid response and gets individualized feedback and practice.
rapid feedback. The learner responds, repeats, gets
informative feedback, revises and builds her/his reper-
simSchool: How do you think we can get the
toire. These factors are straight out of applied behav-
message to faculty and teachers? How do we
iorist theory. Game designers have capitalized on it.
bridge where education is today to where it could
be tomorrow with simulations/games?
Young players live in an instant feedback kind of world.
My younger students are always instant messaging,
PB: We do see change happening outside of educa-
to the point where messages appear on my screen
tion. A good indicator is the multi-billion dollar game
while I am teaching. They are using IM as a way of
industry which is doing very well. Because we have
expanding the community beyond the confines of the

6 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

compulsory education, students will continue to attend
schools, but they will participate “enthusiastically”
outside of school in the number of hours they work on
games and online communities. Either educational
institutions will adapt to the needs of students of this
century or more and more of them will leave to go to
private situations or they will stay in that interactive
game space for a lot of their learning. Those who can
afford to will move outside of the education system
such as those doing home schooling. Home school
kids are accelerating for the most part. Companies that
do tutoring, that help children excel, are using more
innovative kinds of technology. I don’t typically see
this happening in a way that allows students to inter-
act in a school situation. However, we may see this in
one-to-one initiatives where each student has a laptop.
Kids can work faster and better with a laptop. When
we have these wireless laptops, students are able to Dr. Peggy Benton is Professor of Instructional
very quickly create those online communities that work
around the very flexible school structure. Technologies (ITEC) at San Francisco State Uni-
versity (SFSU) teaching graduate courses in digital
graphics, multimedia, visual communication and

The next generation of educators will technology leadership for educators. She directs the
have grown up with simulations and development of ITEC masters culminating work and
games, learning it just like a language. coordinates the courses in technology integration for
pre-service teachers.

In education it is going to take longer. There is a cul- Dr. Benton directed “Teaching with Technology,” a
tural gap between today’s faculty and young educators Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology,
coming up. The next generation of educators will have
grown up with simulations and games, learning it just (PT3, 1999-2004). Funded by the US Department of
like a language. They are digital natives and comfort- Education, her program focused on infusing technol-
able with it. People of our generation are digital immi-
grants trying to learn it after the fact. It wasn’t part of ogy in teaching and learning as well as professional
my college training. So as more and more faculty and development of faculty and pre-credential teach-
teachers retire, particularly those who resist change
the digital natives become faculty. Then we will see the ers. She was selected as an Apple Distinguished
integration of simulations and games in the curriculum. Educator for 2004 and a George Lucas Education

Recently there was a news article about young people Foundation Faculty Associate for 2003 and 2004.
waiting to get into the store to buy the latest X-Box Dr. Benton works with such collaborative partners as
game starting at midnight. Do we see students waiting
in line to go to school at midnight? That should be a Apple Computer, Oracle Corporation, Buck Institute
hint. We do see kids involved in interesting things in for Education, Center for Enhancement of Teaching,
after school programs. We see elaborate scenarios in
project based learning. Some schools are trying but the George Lucas Educational Foundation and local
with a fixed curriculum there is little time to engage school districts. It is in this network of sharing innova-
in an activities such and games or simulations which
tions and working together that she believes we can
seem frivolous. ❧
bring about the solutions we need.

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 7

 Observations/Games & Learning
An interview with Mike Searson with the simSchool staff

Dr. Mike Searson of Kean University simSchool: What is it about simulations/games

Reflects on His Observations Between that make them compelling learning environ-
ments?
Games and Learning
MS: Games challenge the player, allowing her/him
to work through a complex problem or event. Not
only young people, but a generation of children who
started playing in the 70’s are now avid game players
as adults. Another reason for this fascination is that
people find playing a game a meaningful and social
activity.

Games challenge the player, allowing

her/him to work through a complex
problem or event.
simSchool: When did you first become aware
of the potential for games/simulations for learning
and what was it that piqued your interest?

MS: As a child, I was always interested in games They play in a group, share codes, and share infor-
whether board games or just playing games outside mation. There are networks of people (sometimes
because I realized that games were something one forming clans) all over the world that go online to
could learn from …and they were fun! In college, I be- share. Through this collaboration, gamers are push-
came interested in early childhood education and rec- ing their thinking, building on what they know to learn
ognized how important games were for all children’s even more, similar to what Vygosky called the zone of
learning. I have found that games are meaningful to proximal development.1 Another reason why games
a child’s life as well as to anyone who plays them. My are so compelling is that players have “emotional
interest in games continued in my graduate research power.” As game players press the joystick they cause
at the Institute of Cognitive Studies at Rutgers Uni- an event to happen, receive feedback, and then they
versity where I focused my thesis on baseball as an have to react. If you watch, you can see players act
environment for complex cognitive processing. In my out the games they play. They press the button, make
research on baseball, I found, for example, that hitters facial expressions, and shift their body to left or right.
bring much more than a bat with them when they go to Players are totally immersed in the whole environment
the plate. They have plans, predictions, and problem- – verbally, socially, and bodily. This is the emotional
solving strategies, although this processing may be at power! Players are not even aware of the learning that
the tacit level. So when Yogi Berra says “I can’t think playing requires. Learning includes deep cognition to
and hit at the same time,” it’s true, to some extent.
process what is happening and make a decision on
He, too, exercises complex cognitive processing as a
how to move based on a complex set of possibilities,
successful batter (after all, one has only 1/3 to 1/2 of
gaining implicit and tacit knowledge as they problem
a second to react), he’s just not aware of the cognitive
skills he’s employing. When you interview a hitter (or solve situations and solutions. It is the tacit knowledge
pitcher) after a key moment in a game, they’ll often re- - subconscious - and the implicit processing of knowl-
fer to an encyclopedia memory of past confrontations edge that ultimately contributes to what they learn.
they’ve had and develop their current strategy from
prior knowledge.

8 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

simSchool: How do you think we can get the Marc Prensky writes that schools are becoming
message to faculty and teachers? increasingly irrelevant to today’s younger genera-
tion who spend a good deal of time outside of school
MS: The perspective many people hold, both learning in multi-dimensional, simulated environ-
educators and parents, is that games should not ments. Young people (and their parents) are looking
be part of formal education. The American fabric of for alternatives to traditional schooling as evidenced by
education holds that learning cannot be pleasurable. the increasing numbers of home schoolers and charter
All of us have heard the saying, “No pain, no gain.” If schools2. Mike stresses, “We need to find a way to
you are having fun then there is something wrong. bring educational games into the classroom!”

It is the proclivity of all western educators and

educational literature to quantify and rank. Today’s I am fascinated with how kids multi-
schools administer tests and assessments to measure
and quantify specific knowledge and need visible task. We use the term “multi-task”
artifacts. Yet, we don’t even realize the deep learning fairly regularly, but do we know if
going on and the amount of assessment inherent in it’s seen a tremendous evolution
a game. Game designers put more feedback and
assessment in one half hour of play than a whole day in a single generation? A player
of schoolwork. Our challenge as educators is to first is constantly scanning the screen
understand the kind of learning, assessment, and and taking in visual, oral, and
feedback going on in games, and then work with those
responsible for creating games to develop content into
textual cues. Playing requires quick
meaningful processes that connect with educational assessment of actions happening in
curriculum. different parts of the screen, e.g., cal-
culations about how much resource is
Today’s overemphasis on tests has caused a reaction
in some circles toward more meaningful learning needed and how much is left, whether
environments that engage the learner. We have to to spend resources to build a transport
tackle this matter head on. The antidote to today’s station,
test intensive schools are not only games, but project-
based learning approaches. We are seeing the
first early wave of this movement to more engaging
learning. Even within the current Bush administra-
tion, the word is that they are interested in games for Not all games are arcade format, action-packed and
education. For example, Susan Patrick, the Education fast moving. Some games, like online chess, are more
Technology Director of the Office of Educational reflective and provide time for well thought out deci-
Technology for the US DOE, has recently called for sions. You can look at non-computer games like Dun-
more attention to the role that games can play in geons and Dragons or Magic Cards, and see that kids
education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) shouldn’t are also enamored of slow moving, thoughtful games.
just mean learning to gain higher test skills and as- When thinking about the design of educational games,
similation of facts. Today’s 21st century learning we want to think reflection!
skills require students to think deeply, reflect, and
understand from a global perspective. Looking at game anthropology, games cross
boundaries. They are a great equalizer. When you
are playing over the Internet, you don’t know if you
are playing with someone from an urban city like
Game designers put more feedback Newark, a suburban community such as Montclair,
and assessment in one half hour of or a rural town in New Jersey. When students are
play than a whole day of schoolwork. engaged in playing, they don’t care whether a person
has a different skin color. Even gender differences are
beginning to disappear as more games are designed
for girls’ preferences.3

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 9

 simSchool: How do we bridge where education/
higher ed is today to where it could be tomorrow
with simulations/games?

MS: We need to do appropriate research. We just

cannot say, “They are fun, so let’s use them.” A study
is needed at the national level to look at how players
learn through games. As a person trained in the study
of cognition, I am fascinated with how kids multi-task.
We use the term “multi-task” fairly regularly, but do we
know if it’s seen a tremendous evolution in a single
generation?

A player is constantly scanning the screen and tak-

ing in visual, oral, and textual cues. Playing requires
quick assessment of actions happening in different
parts of the screen, e.g., calculations about how much
resource is needed and how much is left, whether to Michael Searson is currently Executive Assistant
spend resources to build a transport station, when to to the President at Kean University in Union, New
put a unit in the incubator to restore health, and even Jersey. He co-directs the university’s Preparing
before all is in order, an opponent can suddenly ap- Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) and
pear that will scuttle well thought-out plans. Wouldn’t
New Pathways to Teaching grants. He has been at
it be fascinating to research whether kids multi-task
Kean for over 23 years, and has served in a num-
better than adults? ❧ ber of leadership capacities, including Chairperson
of the Department of Early Childhood & Family
Studies, and continues to serve on that faculty.
He also directs the newly established New Jersey
Center for Project-Based Learning.

Searson has been involved in a number of technol-

ogy-related initiatives, including the installation of
the university’s first-ever totally wireless Internet-
ready building and participation in a nationwide
consortium “Project-Based Learning Online: A
Website for Teacher Preparation and Professional
Development”. The consortium is supported by a
FIPSE grant, with the Buck Institute for Education
as the lead agency. Searson is also a 2004 Apple
Footnotes
1 “The Zone of Proximal Development is the distance between the Distinguished Educator.
actual developmental level as determined by independent problem
solving and the level of potential as determined through problem As Executive Assistant to the President, Searson
solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable coordinates international activities at Kean, includ-
peers.”(Cole 1962) ing Travelearn programs and partnerships with
foreign institutions. He is also the Project Director
2 The U.S. Department of Education (Institute of Education Scienc-
of the Institute for Foreign Service and Diplomacy,
es; NCES) released in August a report dated July 2004 entitled “1.1
which was established in 2002 by a three-year
Million Homeschooled Students in the United States in 2003” (by
Congressional appropriation to prepare students,
Princiotta, Bielick, & Chapman). The researchers found that home-
schooling has grown about 7% per year during the past 4 years. 3 particularly those from underrepresented popula-
“Children spend more time playing video games than watching TV, tions, for careers in the U.S. Foreign Service.
MSU survey shows” Michigan University Research Study 4/2/2004

10 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

simSchool in Upcoming Conferences
Bill Halverson, along with Melanie Zibit and others, are presenting at AACTE, SITE 2005 and NECC.
Looking forward to seeing you there.

2005 AACTE SITE 2005

(American Association of (Society for Information
Colleges for Teacher Education) Technology and Teacher Education)
Annual Meeting February 20-23, International Conference
2005 Washington, DC March 1-5, 2005
Phoenix, AZ
AACTE Symposium
“Playing to Learn: Creating, Practicing, and As- SITE2005 Symposium
sessing Preservice Work Samples Through Online “Let’s Play: The Role and Value of Games and
Cases and Simulations” Simulations in Education”

New technology applications for teaching and assess- SITE2005 for the first time is premiering simulations
ment show promise as vehicles for authentic perfor- and games for educators by hosting this symposium.
mance that can produce more comprehensive, finer Mike Searson of Kean University and BIll Halverson of
grained data and evidence than many current per- simSchool are moderators. A diverse group of educa-
formance-based assessment initiatives. Online case tors will present a variety of perspectives to address
methods and simulations are beginning to emerge as the role and value of games and simulations as edu-
powerful new teaching and assessment tools. These cational tools. This symposium will open with a power-
tools assist in the creation of products and evidence of ful digital story depicting the profound impact that a
growth as part of a vision of improving teacher educa- games-based curriculum had on the life of one learner.
tion through increasingly authentic performance oppor- It will be followed rich and diverse presentations by
tunities using technology. For example, the new tools a graphic designer, a gaming expert, a professor of
can provide opportunities for experimentation, play, English, an educational technologist, developers of
rehearsal, simulation, practice guided by feedback, an educational-based simulation, and a journal editor.
and support and validation from experts and peers. Each presenter is a multifaceted and renown in his/her
Learning through practice and playing to learn are vital field. They come together to provide provocative
to expertise development and are well supported by insights into the potential role and value of games and
emerging technologies. This symposium will address simulations as powerful educational tools. The sym-
the question of how the emerging technologies and posium will conclude with a discussion of a possible
processes help support the creation of products and research and advocacy agenda that can advance the
evidence of what a new teacher knows and can do role of games and simulations in education.
and suggest theories and pose current questions to
address this challenge. Papers and presenters for this new symposium on
simulations are:

AACTE Poster Session 1) Characteristics and Functions of Games by Calin

Please stop by the booth and we Cazan a Graphic Designer from Romania
will give you a tour and tell you
about simSchool’s features. 2) What Educators Can Learn from Game Develop-
ers? by Ann DeMarle, professor at Champlain
College

3) What a Leading Edge Instructional Videogame

Looks Like! By Joel Foreman, professor at George
Mason University

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 11

 4) 3-D Gaming in a 3-D World: Engaging Students! NECC 2005
- Peggy Benton, Lucas Foundation Faculty Fellow (National Educational
and Professor at San Francisco State University
(also interviewed in this newsletter) Computing Conference)
June 23-30, 2005
5) The Power of Simulations - Immersion in a Learn-
ing Environment by Melanie Zibit, Professor
Pennsylvania’s Convention Center
at Boston College and Bill Halverson Co-PI of Philadelphia, PA
simSchool
NECC Concurrent Session
6) River City: A Multi-User Virtual Environment Expe- “Education: It’s Only a Game (or Simulation) --
riential Simulator by Debra Sprague Professor at Powerful Learning Models”
George Mason University
Recently there has been an increase in the use of
games, simulations, and models as powerful learning
Roundtable session tools. Millenial students are characterized as com-
“The simSchool Project: Using Classroom Man- fortable in group activities, experienced in the use of
agement Simulations to Help Future Teachers digital technologies, appreciative of education, are
Teach and Improve Student Learning” well-suited for environments where powerful games,
simulations, and models are used effectively by
What transpires between a teacher and a student to teachers. This session will provide an overview of the
foster learning is multi-faceted and abstract. So how current state of games and simulations as educational
can aspiring teachers develop effective teaching skills tools and examine their potential impact on contempo-
and decision-making processes before the actual rary student learning. Actual examples of students in
experience of practice teaching? simSchool, a Pre- gaming/simulation environments will be presented.
paring Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (PT3)
project, is developing a simulated environment where NECC 2005 Poster Session
users are immersed in the culture of the classroom,
assuming the role of teacher, instructing students If you are at NECC, please stop by our poster session
with diverse personalities, behavioral characteristics, to view and try out the alpha version of simSchool.
and learning attributes and skills.. This roundtable is Come join us at NECC for Birds of a Feather on
an interactive discussion with participants to explore games and simulations for educators. ❧
concepts of how students learn, characteristics of a
student’s personality, and the range of student behav-
ior in the classroom. Participants have a chance to
reflect on the question of how perception, psychology,
community, intelligence fit into the picture of student
learning. We will go inside simSchool to explain the
theories, variables, and settings that are the basis for
simStudent reactions to “teacher moves.” The present-
ers are particularly interested in having the audience
react, and question the variables and rules underlying
the simulation and how they are used to represent
learning.

Poster Session
SimSchools: A Teaching Game to Improve Student
Learning

Come learn more about simSchool. Virtual students,

based on authentic student characteristics, react to de-
cisions about task design and “in-flight” teacher moves
providing the user with a rich web of associations and
strategies to develop future teachers’ understanding
and teaching skills.

12 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

Register for
simSchool now!
[Link]

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 13

 Will younger teachers
think and learn differently?
simSchool thinks so.
by Melanie Zibit

The simSchool
The ability to teach is not abstract knowledge that individuals either do or do not Homepage is where is
have, but a knowledge in practice. Researchers tell us that knowledge is “knowing all begins!!
how,” a capacity to perform or act in particular circumstances. Like “knowing
how “to ride a bicycle, the knowledge can not be separated from the practice.
(Orlikowski 2002)
view sample screens of
Games and simulations provide a context in which to develop “know how” situated the simSchool classroom,
in the practice of doing, To play a game, you immerse yourself in a content area, simStudents and reports
become familiar with all of the potential moves, and interact in context. Overtime showing how well you
a player builds a repertoire of moves or know how that can transfer to other played the game!
situations.
Click on
When you play simSchool you act the role of teacher, instructing students with
diverse personalities, behavioral characteristics, and learning attributes and skills.
Each time you “play” simSchool you interact with a unique classroom of sim- to see additional innovative
Students. Each simStudent has an individual profile - his/her history, academic tools developed by
performance, as well as social and emotional characteristics. Each simStudent simSchool partners.
has a unique personality made up of Traits and Needs, Learning Preferences, and
Click on
Social Expectations that determine how s/he acts, what s/he says in class, and
how s/he performs when prompted.
to connect to all sorts of
As the teacher playing simSchool, you master the language of teaching. You journal articles, as well as
design tasks for the whole class or adjust tasks to fit individual student learning links to other simulations,
needs. To see your impact, watch how your students sit in their chairs. “Alert” games resources and
says they are learning; slumped indicates they have “tuned out.” You can even information for educators.
“talk” to your students through selected exchanges, matching your comments to fit
with a student’s personality, e.g., a supportive statement for a shy student, more Click on
assertive with a hostile student. Use the Grade Book to interpret your simStu-
dent’s performance on in-class assignments, participation in large and small group
discussions, and quizzes and tests. In the role of teaching, you are learning to play simSchool
through action and making a multitude of complex decisions that lead to internal- (available 2nd quarter 2005)
izing the strategies and skills of teaching. ❧

News Flash: simSchool is conducting a nationwide survey on the gaming experiences and attitudes of
today’s preservice students. If you are a preservice student and interested in participating OR you are a
teacher education faculty member and would like your students to take the survey, please contact simSchool at
info@[Link] or go [Link] Results from this survey will be a first look at trends in the
use of games with future teachers, helping us to understand the learning style and interest of the next genera-
tion of teachers.

14 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]

simSchool & Elearn!!
simSchool was at Elearn!! in Washington POSTER SESSION.
D.C., November 1 – 5, 2004, presenting a full As you can imagine, the excitement about educational
paper presentation and a poster session. simulations surrounding simSchool’s poster session
drew many visitors from both American and interna-
Full Paper Co-PIs David Gibson and Bill Halverson, tional educators.
along with Melanie Zibit:

“Bridging the Distance Between

Research and Practice: Creating a
Community of Practice for Piloting an
Educational Simulation.”

When projects and organizations want to deploy new Bill Halverson (right) with New Zealand Friendz of
e-learning tools, it is helpful to bridge research, devel- simSchool.
opment and practice by piloting with users to learn what
works, what doesn’t work, and how to create support
systems for full scale implementation (Royer, 2002;
Sanders, Brown & Zellner, 2002). The simSchool team
discussed strategies used during the first year of the
project to successfully recruit a cross section of teacher
education institutions as a pilot group.

One of our selected pilot sites commented on the

reason for their interest in educational simulations:
David Gibson (left) & Bill Halverson (right) with new
“We are interested in new and better ways to help
future teachers to really understand the complexity Friendz of simSchool.
of teaching and to see all the variables that go into
decision making processes [in order to] make better
decisions to meet student needs, without jeopardizing eLearn also gave us an opportunity to update our
(actual) students.” Of particular interest is simSchool’s Department of Education Program Officer Steve
broad array of online tools to foster communication and Sniegoski on our progress.
collaboration.❧
To read the paper go to [Link] and
click on simPortal and click on sim-
schoolresources and look under "in the
news".

Department of Education program officer Steve

Sniegoski with Melanie Zibit.

simSchool is funded by the Department of Education's PT3 Program 15

 [Link]

simSchool...
To register as a Friendz of
• Improves your understanding of student simSchool click on
learning styles and personal characteristics.

• Helps you develop intuition, strategies and All “Friendz” receive free
skills that will make you a better teacher!! newsletters, information on
simulations and games for
• Allows you to practice teaching and class- educators and FREE use of the
room management skills in a risk-free envi- simSchool simulation when it is
ronment. released!!

Email: info@[Link]
• Boosts your confidence in teaching.

16 simSchool © 2005 | [Link]