Using Fun and Games to Engage Real-World

Learning

Dr. Shonda Kuiper Grinnell College

Dr. Rod Sturdivant

The Ohio State University

ECOTS Workshop, May 20, 2014

http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals/kuipers/stat2labs

Playing Games with a Purpose

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Project

• Current grant NSF TUES DUE #1043814

• Previous grant (Shonda) NSF DUE#0510392

• Contributors: Tietronix Software, John Jackson, Kevin Cummiskey, Billy Kaczynski

Products of Project

• Interactive Web-based games • Develop, implement, evaluate

• Corresponding investigative laboratory modules • Effectively teach statistical thinking • Present process of scientific inquiry• Typically 1-2 day activities

• Undergraduate students• First modules produced for introductory courses• Can use in other courses

High level objectives of project

• Students in role of researcher

• Understanding of how statistics helps advance scientific knowledge

• Interdisciplinary activity and materials

• Statistical thinking

• REAL world problems

• Individualized research questions

• Supports CUPM and GAISE recommendations

Current Status

• TANGRAMS, Shapesplosion, and Memorathon games and labs well developed

Cummiskey, K., Kuiper, S., and Sturdivant, R. (2012). Using classroom data to teach students about data cleaning and testing assumptions. Frontiers in Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, 3(354), doi: 10.3589/fpsyg.2012.00354.

• TIGERSTAT and FishPond game and labs initial developmentoClassroom testedoMore labs planned

• Statistically Grounded and Epidemic in progress.

Getting Involved

• Materials are freely available:

• Formal class testing (email us if you would like to be involved)

• Statistically Grounded: 2014-2015 academic year

• TIGERSTAT: 2014-2015 academic year

• Informal feedback and ideas (You can use these games at anytime)

• Improvements to games

• New possibilities for labs/topics

• New game ideas.

http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals/kuipers/stat2labs

ECOTS 2014 Workshop:

• Pedagogical presentations

• Why case studies and research-like games?

• How to bridge the gap between short, focused homework problems and the open-ended nature of a real-world problem

• Examples of games and labs

• Hands on activities

• Discussion of how we use in our classes

• Sharing of IDEAS!!!!!