C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Kristi Bowling & Lynn Lauterbach MedMyst: An Adventure Game that Engages Students in Microbiology and the Scientific Method

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Web adventures are free educational online games

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING  Begins with learning objectives  Engaging storyline- MYSTERY  Characters that provide feedback  Guided inquiry  Games are embedded What is a Web Adventure?

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Infect-O-Rama (Frogger) Plasmodia Invasion Germ Blaster (Galaga)Mosquito Massacre Embedded Games

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Educational online games are engaging and effective:  Web adventures (The Reconstructors, MedMyst, N-SQUAD) increase science content knowledge  Enjoyment and satisfaction are positively related with knowledge gain  Games embody well-established principles and models of learning (like situated cognition, anchored instruction, self-motivation, and feedback) Do Web Adventures Teach?

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Align with Science /Health Standards

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Pew Internet & American Life Project Teen & Parents Gaming and Civics Survey, November February 2008  Teens like to play video games 97% of teens ages in the USA play video games (99% boys, 94% girls)  Today’s students are poised to take advantage of educational games.  Online games are a fixture of youth culture. Why teach with games?

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Recent Studies Life Sciences EducationMicrobiology Education Life Sciences EducationMicrobiology Education

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst – funded by SEPA & NIAID

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Webadventures.rice.edu

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Medmyst.rice.edu

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Original

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 1– Orientation at ORB

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 1– Koch’s Postulates of Germ Theory

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 2– Cholera Case-Control Study

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 2– Peril in Prokaryon

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 2– Cholera Case-Control Study

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 3– Make a Smallpox Vaccine

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 3– Nemesis in Neuropolis

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 3– Make a Smallpox Vaccine

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 4– History of Malaria

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 4– Malady in Mabuufo

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 4– History of Malaria

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 5– Investigating a Zoonotic Threat

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 5– Zero Hour Zoonosis

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 5– Investigating a Zoonotic Threat

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Medmyst.rice.edu

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Reloaded

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING NEW: MedMyst Mission 6 Three training activities, each minutesThree training activities, each minutes Inspire careers in health and scienceInspire careers in health and science Train players for MedMyst mission 7Train players for MedMyst mission 7 Reinforce the scientific methodReinforce the scientific method Reinforce science process skillsReinforce science process skills Epidemiologist Microbiologist Veterinarian

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING MedMyst Mission 6- Control and Experimental Samples

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING How do the web adventure games fit into my curriculum? How can I make this work in my classroom? Are students motivated by these games? Do students learn – Content? Process Skills? Higher Level Thinking? Key Questions

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Teacher Suggested Enhancements

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Classroom Activities

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Tips from a Teacher

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING Cool Links

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING I just really wanted to give you a shout about your web site because it is really cool, and it helped me understand what we are learning in science class. MedMyst is so cool!!! I wish you could do something like this for my school’s next Science unit or come to think about it, how about one for every school subject. You guys make learning about pathogens fun!! You guys need more missions because I have finished them all 5 times and I am only 11, so you need more missions!!! Extremely rewarding, outstanding! VERY VERY educational. I just wanted to let you know that my 8th grade students are really getting into your games. These games help them play at their own pace, are at a reading level that is easy for them to follow, and the students are having fun learning at the same time. Student Comments Teacher Comments

C ENTER FOR T ECHNOLOGY IN T EACHING AND L EARNING