| NATIONAL NEWS | |  |
|
 |
|
| Last updated at 8:34 AM on 16/05/08 |
NASA researcher says video games hold key to resurgence in learning 
THE CANADIAN PRESS
WINNIPEG — A NASA researcher says video games may hold the key to a resurgence in learning.
Daniel Laughlin said rock ’n’ roll and comic books were treated with as much suspicion in their day and were accused of corrupting youth.
“Since 1993, violent crime in Canada and the U.S. has declined by 50 per cent and during that time the video gaming industry has exploded,” Laughlin said. “If video games were really linked to crime, then we wouldn’t have seen that decline in violence.”
NASA’s learning technologies project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Centre in Baltimore said video game software has been successfully used in training and simulation programs and NASA hopes to develop the most successful, fun, online video game ever.
Laughlin detailed NASA’s plans to a group of academics, government officials and industry representatives who met at the University of Manitoba for a half-day workshop on video gaming technology and how it can be used in training environments.
In January, NASA issued a request for information on how it could work with the gaming industry to develop a learning game. The space agency received 168 detailed responses and, after reviewing them, released a formal request for proposals at the end of April.
The aim is to hone the science and mathematics skills of high schoolers and college students — even some really, really smart 12-to-14-year-olds.
“I’d love to see a space-based game where the players are placed in real careers — astrophysicists, aerospace engineer,” Laughlin said. “It would be a game where you need the expertise of real science to succeed.”
He admitted he doesn’t know if it’s possible to combine fun, popularity and education in a single game.
“It’s got to be fun, first,” he said. “Without the fun, no one will want to play it and it won’t be successful. But it has to use real science.”
|
16/05/08
© 2009 
|
Comments: |
|
This Conversation is Semi-Moderated. What is moderation?
|
| What does moderation mean? |
 |
The Truro Daily News is committed to encouraging intelligent discourse among our readers and to creating a forum where diverse views and opinions on a wide range of topics can be aired. The forum you are in now is a result of our continuing efforts to facilitate a dynamic online conversation among our readers.
This is a semi-moderated or reactively moderated conversation. Once a reader follows the steps to register and submit his or her comment it goes directly to the website. A comment may be edited or deleted for reasons of content or language.
All readers wishing to join a conversation must first sign in and agree to the Terms of Usage, which explain the rules of acceptable content.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- there are currently no comments for this story -
|
|
|
|
