Rushing Headlong into the Past: the Blackwood Simulation Brian M. Slator, NDSU Computer Science and the members of CSCI345

MultiUser Exploration Spatially-oriented virtual worlds Practical planning and decision making Educational Role-playing Games “Learning-by-doing” Experiences

Problem solving Scientific method Real-world content Mature thinking

Balancing Pedagogy with Play Games have the capacity to engage! Powerful mechanisms for instruction Illustrate real-world content and structure Promote strategic maturity (“learning not the law, but learning to think like a lawyer”)

Teaching Principles Game-like Spatially oriented Goal-orientated Immersive Role-based Exploratory Interactive Multi-user Learn-by-doing

Advantages of Virtual Worlds Collapse virtual time and distance Allow physical or practical impossibilities Participate from anywhere Interact with other users, virtual artifacts, and software agents Multi-user collaborations and competitive play

Blackwood: Background Retailing Simulation Set in the “Old West” ( ) Mythical Town, with “authentic timeline” Players “inherit” a store (and a role) Managing the “store” within the simulated economy teaches microeconomic principles

Agent-based Simulation Economy and “society” simulated agents: Atmosphere Agents: lend “color” to the environment (buffalo hunters, fur trappers) Infrastructure Agents: Customers, Merchants, Employees, Bankers, Teamsters Newspaper frames historical events Economic Trends modeled by population(s)

Agent-based Simulation Player roles (and Merchant types): Blacksmiths, Cartwrights, Wheelwrights, Tailors, Leather Makers, +3 more Customer Agents are from 30+ consumer groups, and also “mark time”. Employee agents do the actual “work”, while players manage

Technical Approach Networked, internet based, client-server simulation UNIX-based MOO (Multi-User Dungeon, Object Oriented) Java-based clients (text version - telnet based; graphical versions)

Project Planning Design the town and create its history Design the Geography Decide on Merchant types, Product types Create implementation plan Organize into groups Pick leadership Arrange training

Retailing in the Old West

1869 Town of Blackwood established Spring: begin historical simulation Fall: Railroad Arrives Silver is discovered in the hills Nov-Dec: the Great White Ruin begins Spring: Flood, Blackwood simulation ends.

Group Efforts HTML Team Graphics Team Java Team Server Team Scribes Group Leaders Resumes and Elections

Work in Progress

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