NECC: Video Games as Constructivist Learning Environments

For those of you interested in games and learning:

This is a link to a post by Josh Thomas (Topics Education) about Mark Wagner's presentation at NECC on the topic of video games and constructivist learning environments. More information about Mark Wagner can be found at EdTechLife.

Revised Post 8/1/06 Interactive multimedia for social skills, understanding feelings, relaxation and coping strategies, etc.

UPDATE Links:
Link to Pragmatic Language/Social Skills Objectives (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction)
http://techpsych.blogspot.com/p/social-skillspragmatic-language.html


Link to a post about interactive technology (whiteboards, interactive websites, touch screen technologies, tabletop computing, etc.) in my work as a school psychologist in 2010:
http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.com/2010/08/reflections-about-interactivity-in-my.html


UPDATE: 1/17/08

(Additional information about multimedia and social skills applications, tips, and strategies can be found on the CITEd website. See my post on the TechPsych blog for links to CITEd resources.)

Here are some interactive applications and games that focus on social skills, coping skills, feelings, stress management, relaxation, communication, attention, or study skills. Multimedia applications present students with experiences that address a variety of modes of learning, communication, and thinking. This can be helpful with students who have more difficulty with traditional word-based counseling techniques.

The links with an asterisk (*) have online demos or offer the content on-line. Click on the links to view on-line activities and information.

ITSMYLIFE * is an interactive website for middle-school students. It has video clips, games and related activities on topics such as bullying, dealing with emotions, dealing with crushes, gossip and rumors, divorce, death, time management, test stress, fighting, and more. Streaming video clips on a range of topics are available on this site. Resources are provided on-line for teachers and parents. The activities on this website are appropriate for classroom guidance, small group counseling/ intervention, and for "homework". The website also includes several interactive games. The activities are engaging when presented via an interactive white board. Good potential for social-emotional intervention/prevention research.

(I used activities at the It's My Life website for group and individual counseling with middle school students who had social-emotional and behavioral difficulties.)

MOODGYM *is "a free Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy intervention designed to treat and prevent depression in young people, available to all Internet users, and targeted to those who may have no formal contact with professional help services.” This online intervention was developed and researched in Australia . It can be used effectively with older teens in a school setting. Some of the activities are appropriate for a group through presentation on an interactive whiteboard. Some of the activities can be completed during the week outside of school. Good research potential. Click here to download a 2.6 mg. PowerPoint presentation about MoodGym.

(I used MOODGYM with high school students with anxiety disorders, Asperger Syndrome, bipolar disorder, and depression. The students did some of the activities at home and we discussed their "homework" during counseling sessions. Although MoodGym was designed for young people to use independently, I found that it was useful- and informative- to guide the students I worked with through the first sessions. MoodGym has several self-tests that provide results that show the student where they stand relative to others within their age group in areas of anxiety, depression, and "warpy thoughts"(mistaken beliefs).

CLOUD GAME*

Cloud is a relaxing, nonviolent game, created by graduate students at USC. The character, a child, flies around, collecting clouds and putting them into puzzles in the sky. The music is very soothing. The game is free and can be downloaded through the website. This game could be used to help relax students with anxiety disorders, Asperger syndrome, etc., develop coping strategies. Here is the link to the Cloud video trailer.

(I use the Cloud Game as a form of crisis intervention with students undergoing high level of agitation and stress at the middle and high school level.)

DO2LEARN*
Facial Expression Game
Feelings Game
Resources for students, parents, and teachers. Focuses on activities suitable for students with Asperger-Autism spectrum disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effect, and related disorders. Offers free online activities as well as affordable interactive applications. Many activities are useful for younger students in regular education settings and would work for small group support as well as in classrooms using an interactive whiteboard. A good site to use when consulting with new teachers about intervention strategies. Do2Learn links to information regarding various disabilities. Do2Learn's early work with Virtual Reality helped young children with autism learn street crossing. These games are available on the internet for free.

(I use the Facial Expression Game and the Feelings Game during assessment of students with Autism spectrum disorders and students with other disorders or disabilities. The students enjoy the games. I have also used it during counseling activities that focused on understanding and identifying feelings.)

RIPPLEEFFECTS*

Ripple Effects programs have been researched in the schools, with positive results. The programs would integrate well with positive behavior support programs, including those that offer small group counseling interventions. Some activities work well on an interactive whiteboard and could be incorporated in school-wide efforts for character education, bullying prevention, and so forth.

"Ripple Effects for Teens (grades 6-10) addresses social, emotional and learning needs with individualized guidance in 390 areas.” “Ripple Effects For Kids (grades 3-5) prevents bullying, builds character, promotes healthy behavior and academic success with over 140 reading independent tutorials.” Ripple Effects also offers "Teaching Coach" for staff development. Download an 8 minute video clip overview of Ripple Effects software here.

(I use Ripple Effects in group and individual counseling. It works well for groups using a SmartBoard, as the touch screen on the SmartBoard allows the students to get up and physically interact with the various activities. I have also used Ripple Effects for crisis intervention, choosing topics related to the immediate problem and guiding the student through the activities. I find that Ripple Effects software is easy for the students to use and they can do the activities independently once they are familiar with the format.)

ZAPDRAMATIC *
Free and low-cost on-line games: "Life Experience through Simulations" and "Online Negotiation games" Suitable for high school students for teaching social skills needed for the workplace, community, and relationships. Some of the applications are used for training attorneys, agrologists, and business workers. Simulations could be used in work/life planning classes, conflict resolution, and transition planning.

SELF-ESTEEM GAMES *

On this website, you will find short, interactive games designed to promote positive self-esteem and counteract negative thoughts and anxiety, based on research at University. Appropriate for students who have negative thought patterns and feelings of lower self-esteem. The on-line games may work well with a small social skills group and an interactive whiteboard. Games are based on over 15 years of social psychology research at McGill.
Eye Spy Wham! Grow your Chi

IMMERSIVE EDUCATION*
"Kar2ouche Composer is a highly creative and interactive multimedia authoring tool. It helps students develop contextual understanding, critical interpretation and individual expression through a wide range of creative activities, including interactive role-play, picture-making, storyboarding, animation, publishing and movie-making.”

"MediaStage provides students of all abilities with a creative simulation environment that has all the engagement of the best computer game but puts creative and collaborative learning at its core. MediaStage stimulates students into new ways of thinking about the interactions between characters and people through its use of 3D role-playing simulations. Students can express their own thoughts as if others were expressing them and then mediate these thoughts in empathic ways which are sensitive both to audience and performer. Students can also use MediaStage to design virtual performances that include subtleties of expression through the body language of characters, their proximity to each other and their juxtaposition, as well as their movements and interactions with props and stage settings.”

MediaStage and K ar2ouche allow users to develop narrative and dialogue, so both applications are good for role-play activities. The visual nature of the applications may appeal to students who are visual learners, such as those who have language delays/disorders, autism-spectrum disorders, and language-based learning disabilities. Both applications incorporate story-boarding activities. Story boarding is useful with students who benefit from visual schedules and "Social Stories".

"Immersive Education has substantial evidence which demonstrates how its software and support materials are leading to significant benefits in the traditional classroom environment. These include:

• Better classroom performance and increased pupil motivation and attention
• Inclusion for children of all abilities in understanding difficult texts and concepts
• New ways for teachers to involve children in learning where software is used as an integrated part of an overall teaching solution extending teachers' creative computer skills leading to wider use of computing in the classroom."

Click here to view a short video clip about MediaStage. Click here for a free user's guide.

RELAX TO WIN
Vyro Games
Relax to Win is appropriate for students who have difficulty coping with stress or anxiety. The game is available as a PC game as well as for the smaller screen of a SmartPhone or newer cell phone. It comes with a bio-sensing feedback device. The more relaxed the user, the better the outcome of the game. Research regarding Relax to Win has shown that it is effective. It has not been researched in U.S. schools.

FREE DIVE
BreakAway Games

BreakAway Games produced Free Dive, in collaboration with others. Free Dive a 3-D game found to reduce the need for pain medication among children undergoing painful medical treatments, such as chemotherapy. Click here for a short video about Free Dive.

BreakAway Games produced A Force More Powerful , a game that encourages non-violence. .

SOCIAL IMPACT GAMES

"The goal of this site is to catalog the growing number of video and computer games whose primary purpose is something other than to entertain. These are also known as "serious games." This site is updated regularly and has links to various categories of games. The site is supported by Games2Train.

TRANQUILITY*

A gamer's comments:
"On-line relaxation "game": I really feel like I'm flying around in this space and the notion of 'tranquility' and how it really is needed in order to master the game is something I find extremely cool." Tranquility is similar in principle to the "Cloud" game. This game could be included in interventions for students who have anxiety and related disorders.

PLAY ATTENTION

From the information provided by the Play Attention Website: "Inspired by the same technology NASA uses to train their astronauts, Play Attention® builds skill sets that are vital to everyday activities- from staying organized, to filtering out distractions, to listening more attentively in class."

KIDS TOOLS AND KIDS SKILLS is “performance support software for children, ages 7-13, who have learning disabilities and/or emotional and behavioral problems.” K id Tools/Skills provides accompanying databases and tools/skills resources for teachers and parents. Information can be downloaded from the website that includes overviews, examples of completed tools, and tips for implementation. Although the graphics and interactive technology of K ids Tools doesn't have all of the "bells and whistles" of other programs, it provides a means for students to track and monitor their own progress. The programs are free and there are teacher resources. Funded by the Steppingstones Technology grant.

Interactive literacy applications and on-line resources

Here are some literacy links:

STARFALL
This extensive, free resource works well with in situations such as peer-tutoring, small group instruction, and home learning interventions. Good potential for reading intervention research, also for interventions/support for ELL students. Impressive on an interactive whiteboard. From the website: "“Starfall's online reading programs, together with Starfall's printed materials, are available free from our website as a public service. The website is easy to access and does not require special software to operate. Our printed materials are available for download free of charge. Starfall's educational objectives are consistent with the findings of National Research Council in their report on Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children."

EDUTOPIA ARTICLE ABOUT AUDIOBOOKS- "Listening to Literature"

EDUTOPIA ARTICLE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND READING - "Tech Teaches"

LEXIA LEARNINGSYSTEMS
Lexia provides interactive software applications for reading. A Spanish version is available. The Lexia Cross-Trainer provides interactive games to develop visual-spatial problem -solving skills. For more information, visit the Lexia products link and the support library.

HEADSPROUT

"HeadSprout's secure, web-based performance reports summarize the online instruction into practical information for teachers and administrators. Automated performance reports provide objective, empirical information about each student's individual strengths and weaknesses and progression within the Headsprout reading program."

Samples

EDMARK and RIVERDEEP

Edmark and Riverdeep offer a range of educational applications geared towards special learning needs. Some of the validity research regarding these products is dated. (Research that compares the effectiveness of these products with other interactive reading and academic programs is needed.)

LITERACY RESOURCES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
Resources from UConn to support reading and writing for students with special needs.

NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL LIBRARY ARTICLE ON TECHNOLOGY AND LITERACY - "Critical Issue: Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction

READ PRINT
Good resources for reading materials. Includes biographical information about various authors. According to the website: "Our website offers thousands of free books for students, teachers, and the classic enthusiast."

VCOM3D INC

From the website: "This technology provides interactive, 3D animated characters that communicate through body language (including gesture, signs, and facial expression), lip-synched speech, and action. Their embedded behaviors reflect each character‚’s individual personality, and makes them appealing and lifelike."

"A striking increase in attention span, their level of engagement, and results. During an evaluation at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, the increase in comprehension when shifting from text-only to text accompanied by sign language using SigningAvatar technology was 17% to 67%."

INTERVENTION CENTRAL

A great on-line resource is Intervention Central, created by Jim Wright, a school psychologist and school administrator. On this site, you will find several on-line tools, downloads, and links to a variety of academic and behavioral intervention strategies. Many of the interventions focus on literacy. There are some technology links on the site.

Update 3/24/10:  READ 180

"READ 180 is a comprehensive reading intervention program proven to meet the needs of struggling readers in transitional Grades 3–12. The program directly addresses individual needs through differentiated instruction, adaptive and instructional software, high-interest literature and non-fiction, and direct instruction in reading, writing, and vocabulary skills."

Bill Mackenty's Ed. Tech. "How-to" and Games and Education Links, Edutopia, and FunBrain

Bill Mackenty is an educational technologist and teacher. His Games and Education site/blog provides good links, resources, and ideas, for those of you interested in this topic. Bill also has great "how-two" educational technology links. Share them with your colleagues!

Another resource is the FunBrain website. This site is a repository of learning games for students in grades K-8. The teacher resources page includes links to curriculum guides and McREL standards. There is also a parent resource page.

Keep up with news about engaged learning by subscribing to the newsletters from Edutopia. An article and short video about high school students studying animation with the support of professional animators through video-conferencing was recently added to the site.

Resources for All: Supporting UDL, RTI, Visual and Multimedia Literacy, Project-Based Learning, Learning with Mobile Devices

Since I started blogging, new technologies have made their way into an increasing number of classrooms, and many educators are aware of efforts such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Response to Intervention or Instruction (RTI), as well as innovative technologies that provide engaged, interactive learning experiences for students.

In this post, I've consolidated information and updated links and resources from some previous posts from my TechPsych and Interactive Multimedia Technology blogs. Although many of the resources cited in this post relate to K-12 education, some of the information is useful for instructional designers, school administrators, researchers, college/university educators, parents, and technologists who are interested in developing interactive multimedia applications for children and teens.


Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Planning for All Learners

Universal Design for Learning incorporates differentiated instruction, addressing visual learning and other means of academic engagement through the use of media technology, including project-based learning. The concepts of Universal Design for Learning fit with Response to Intervention (RTI), universal prevention/intervention, and instructional consultation/ problem-solving teams. For those who are considering this approach, plan on spending time exploring this Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) website.

The Planning for All Learners section provides resources such as lesson plan examples and planning charts that provide teachers a way of representing the specific needs of each student.

CAST offers the on-line interactive book, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning.
This book is a good resource for staff development activities. Plan on spending a good bit of time on this site!

EDUTOPIA: The George Lucas Foundation

The Edutopia website provides "..detailed articles, in-depth case studies, research summaries, instructional modules, short documentary segments, expert interviews, and links to hundreds of relevant resources."

The Technology integration link. provides resources for teachers, staff development, including video segments that cover technology integration, project based learning, school-to-career, the use of multimedia for emotional intelligence activities, and more.

INSPIRATION and KIDSPIRATION

Visual learning software: "Learning to think. Learning to learn. These are the essential skills for student success. Research in both educational theory and cognitive psychology tells us that visual learning is among the very best methods for teaching students of all ages how to think, and how to learn." Many school districts have adopted Kidspiration and Inspiration; there are many resources for teacher support for this software. Effective with visual learners and works well for paired and small group activities. Potential for intervention and "engagement" research.

Many school districts have adopted Kidspiration and Inspiration; there are many resources on the website for teacher support for this software. Inspiration and Kidspiration are effective with visual learners. These applications work well on large-screen displays as well as P.C.'s, and are good for paired and small group activities.

Inspiration now offers a visual data analysis application, InspireData.

I SUPPORT LEARNING

“Our mission is to empower educators in their quest to create and support life-long learners, to make education relevant and engaging for the student through creative software.” I Support Learning provides applications for creative, interactive project-based activities for middle and high school students that integrate the use of technology and build technology skills."

I Support Learning's Personal Experience Curricula

CARTOON ANIMATION VIDEO GAME DESIGN MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION WEB GAME DESIGN
PERSONAL FINANCE AND WEALTH MANAGEMENT BUILDING GREEN – RESIDENTIAL HOME DESIGN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MOBILE ROBOTICS GREEN INDUSTRY – LANDSCAPE DESIGN ROBOTS AND INVENTION HORTICULTURE AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN

HANDHELD AND MOBILE DEVICES FOR LEARNING

There are some classrooms in that do not use textbooks. Textbooks are provided to students electronically on their PDA's. Some versions of electronic textbooks are interactive and include hypertext links to supplemental information or activities. Students who use Wi-Fi enabled PDA's have access to interactive websites that compliment what they are learning in class.

In most classrooms that use this form for instruction, students often work in pairs and groups. Because PDA's run many of the same applications as do PC's, they can be utilized for frequent monitoring and charting of progress. Here are a few resources:

PAPERLESS CLASSROOM

"Our classroom uses Windows CE and Pocket PC based Personal Digital Assistants (we call them PDA's.) We are running a paperless classroom with the PDA's. All homework and reading assignments are done on the PDA's. We do not use copied ditto sheets or heavy textbooks. All of this is accomplished in a 7th and 8th Grade Language Arts class, not in a math or science classroom."

This is a good example of how a teacher, a "rookie" during the 1998-99 school year, embraced new and effective ways of using technology to meet the needs of a diverse range of learners in the middle school setting for Language Arts instruction. This website has expanded to include a range of resources for educators interested in learning how to implement paperless classrooms. Research in this area can be found through HiCe and related organizations.

HICE: Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education

HiCe provides consultation and resources for schools regarding the use of handheld devices in learning environments. The work of the HiCe project at the University of Michigan has been in place for over a decade.."With PDA's, students can access websites created by their teachers to keep track of assignments and upload or e-mail assignments when completed. Software on PDA's such as calendars and an alarm can help students who have organization problems."

A spin-off of the HiCe project is GOKNOW.

INSPIRATION for handhelds

CREATIVE EXAMPLES OF HANDHELD LEARNING ACTIVITIES

MOOP:
Moop was developed in Finland and integrated up-to-date SmartPhones into daily learning activities. Some of the activities involved out-door learning experiences.

"Through Moop, a pupil makes observations and saves and manages information in the mobile and network learning platform. The learning environment supports the process of inquiry learning, during which a pupil outlines his or her thoughts on the current topic, collects information and observations from the surroundings and reports the findings in the network-learning environment. Moop project is based on needs of schools and teachers: the traditional learning environment is broadened from classroom to observation in the surroundings"

Mattila, P. & Fordell, T. (2005) MOOP- Using m-learning environment in primary schools. http://www.mlearn.org.za/CD/papers/Mattila.pdf
Mattila, P. (2005) Moop - Mobile Learning Environment as Part of Daily School Work
http://www.microlearning.org/micropresentations/micropresentation_friesen_2005.pdf

M-LEARNING PROJECT

Quote from the project website:

"…the user group has expanded to encompass people of all ages, from grandparents getting involved in family learning, adults looking to improve their employment prospects, to pregnant teenagers needing health advice and guidance." Website has demos of software and links to references and resources, along with video clips useful for presentations.

The M-Learning website provides extensive resources for m-learning; it is a good place for self-study and for staff development for anyone planning on using m-learning as a strategy. The use of m-learning in education would area that would be good for further research, particularly in the areas of dropout prevention and transition planning.

Also see: M-LEARNOPEDIA

OTHER RESOURCES FOR INTEGRATING HAND-HELDS INTO EDUCATION:

K-12 HANDHELDS
LEARNING AT HAND
LEARNINGINHAND

INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS AND LARGE-SCREEN DISPLAYS

SMART TECHNOLOGIES

This company produces interactive whiteboards, which allows educators to bring the touch screen to the wide screen in their classrooms.

Educator's Resources

LEARNING OBJECTS

According to WISC, learning objects are web-based, self-contained chunks of learning, small enough to be embedded in a learning activity, lesson, unit, or course, are flexible, portable, and adaptable, and can be used in multiple learning environments and across disciplines.

WISC ONLINE LEARNING OBJECTS

http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/index_tj.asp?objID=AP11403

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm

Quotes from users of learning objects:

"Reading something in a book, I may not get the concept. So as I go through it on the screen, I can see how the different things work...for an example , one of the classes I had , that had a CD and a learning object with it, I actually passed the test, got a 100%, because I was able to go over it. The way it was on screen, was completely different than how I had memorized in my head." - Holly Davidson, Student

"You can read everything in a book that you want, but as soon as you see it in a learning object, you really understand it." - Paul Heidger, Student

Like Merlot, WISC provides interactive learning objects geared primarily for higher education. Learning objects incorporated into instruction provide students with multiple paths to gaining knowledge, consistent with the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

"Learning objects are self-directive, so the student can review it over and over" "They grasp it much faster, and they retain in much better." -Instructor.

Note: Very little research regarding the use of learning objects and K-12 populations, including special needs populations, has been conducted.

Updated 5/20/06 ! Interactive Multimedia Technology for Science and Math

SCIENCE AND MATH RESOURCES

Science/Math Update 5/20/06

The Molecularium website at Rensselaer has links to information about the new Molecularium project.
This description is from the website:

"Our mission is to blend art and science to create unique vehicles to excite, entertain, and educate
children of all ages about science in the world around them. Molecularium™ is the flagship outreach
and informal education effort of Rensselaer’s National Science Foundation funded Nanoscale Science
and Engineering Center for Directed Assembly of Nanostructures."

4/12/06

The fields of science and math increasingly rely on technology for scientific visualization, data visualization, and three-dimensional modeling. These technologies can be incorporated into interactive multimedia activities for students, often improving the motivation, learning, and academic engagement of students. This list is a starting point and will be updated periodically. New: The following resource is from a recent presentation regarding newer technologies for math and science, including the use of computer graphics, the Tablet PC, and immersive virtual reality for scientific visualization. The pictures are informing. A good overview:

van Dam, A. (2006). Immersive virtual reality in scientific visualization. Presentation: Simon Fraser University.

ACTIVE WORLDS EDUCATIONAL UNIVERSE

The Active Worlds Educational Universe is an Active Worlds Universe that uses and explores the educational applications of the Active Worlds Technology. Margaret Corbit, of Cornell University, participated in the Vlearn study regarding virtual worlds for science. Final Report: "Building blocks for virtual worlds." "For several years, researchers at Cornell University have been using Active Worlds software to help students in science classes around North America translate various science related curriculum into virtual worlds students author, explore, and interact in. By doing so, students must research, actively construct, and thus translate their knowledge of a specific scientific domain (e.g. DNA or Martian exploration) into a virtual simulated experience."

CONCORD CONSORTIUM The Concord Consortium is a nonprofit educational research and development organization based in Concord, Massachusetts. We create interactive materials that exploit the power of information technologies. Our primary goal in all our work is digital equity, improving learning opportunities for all students." Concord Consortium offers free software for science and math interactive learning activities; a free software development kit is available for download. Take a look at the Modeling Across the Curriculum page on the Concord Consortium website.

DIMENXIAN

Dimenxian is an engaging, immersive 3-D Algebra 1 game, with multiplayer capabilities. It was developed by Tabula Digita. The game aligns to curriculum standards and would work well in an after-school study skills or tutorial program. Math teachers with an interactive whiteboard might find it useful in grabbing attention when introducing new concepts or for reviewing for exams. You see the Dimenxian trailer request a demo of the game here.

DISCOVERY SCHOOL

Discovery School is part of the Discovery Channel website. It includes a wealth of information for education, including lesson plans for all grade levels, including science. Many of the online are interactive. Example lesson plan with interactive online activities: Earth and Beyond Link to United Streaming video

ENVIRONMENTAL DETECTIVES

Environmental Detectives is a an interactive simulation developed by the Games to Teach Program at MIT. It is classified as Augmented Reality Simulation. Environmental Detectives allow students to use handheld PDA's with GIS technology to participate in a variety of activities outdoors and is used in environmental education classes.

There is a PowerPoint presentation about Environmental Detectives on the website

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

National Geographic has a kid's home page . This site has a variety of engaging learning activities, including a virtual rain forest at night, with sound. Information for teachers can be found on the educator's home page.

PBS SCIENCE

The PBS Science website contains links to NOVA, Nature, and Scientific American Frontiers. It includes a variety of on-line science activities and resources for students, teachers, and parents. Resources for teachers and parents are available here. For kids: ZoomSci RIVER CITY PROJECT The River City Project is at the Harvard School of Education. "This project is studying the extent to which The River City MUVE, a technology - based curricular innovation, developed through "robust-design" strategies is effective in increasing students' educational outcomes across a range of challenging classroom settings." Dr. Chris Dede is the lead researcher for this project. River City on-line videos are available on the website. THE WAYANG OUTPOST MATH GAME "Drawing on the look and feel of computer games, the Wayang Outpost is set in a virtual world representing an orangutan research station in the rainforest of Kalimantan. Students interact with virtual mentor characters based on real female scientists who provide role models for students considering math-intensive fields of study." The engagement provided by the game format may help draw in at-risk, disengaged teens back into learning. The game support geometry and SAT preparation and was designed to interest girls in math and science. Publications about Wayang Outpost Wayang Outpost project at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Wayang Outpost project at the University of Southern California