STEM Education Institute Announcement: Tuesday Talk info

[Stem Account <stem@k12s.phast.umass.edu>]

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education Institute
presents:

Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 4:30 PM
Hasbrouck Lab, Room 138, University of Massachusetts Amherst

"Alternate Reality Gaming: A model for large-scale problem-based learning?"

Steve Brewer
Biology Dept., University of Massachusetts

A new genre has appeared in the gaming world in which participants
self-organize to solve large-scale problems in an alternate reality by
taking action in the real world.  These games, which sometimes attract
hundreds of thousands of participants, may offer some promise for engaging
students in problem-based learning.  I will provide an overview of
alternate-reality gaming, identify some of the learning goals inherent in
this genre, sketch out how these might apply to scientific
problem-solving, and describe a proposal for a new class based on these
techniques.

The program begins at 4:30 PM; refreshments at 4:15 PM.
Parking available at the Campus Center Garage.
For more information, contact STEM Ed Institute at 545-0453

Next talk:  November 17, 2009, Don Wise, Geosciences Dept., University of
Massachusetts, "Geology, Evolution, and (Incompetent) Design"