This Small Exploratory Research project is focused on determining whether learning objectives can be met effectively through engagement in educational group game play activity for engineering design decision-making. To test the hypothesis that the learning styles of current students in engineering and business differ, and that technology-based learning is perhaps more appropriate for a diverse student population, this project will create and use a network-based computer game to test this research in an interdisciplinary setting.
The research to be explored is: Does introduction of concepts through group game play foster deeper understanding of interdisciplinary material? A board game, created by an MS student supported on an earlier CAREER award of the PI, simulate the supply chain for a large manufacturing operation, with the goal that students learn the underlying principles of optimization; in this case trying to maximize profit while minimizing environmental impact. This project will create a web-based version of the game to test the second objective, can today's student learn new materials by playing multiple iterations of a web-based game designed to meet their learning styles?
This is a high potential, high risk project where if this successful demonstrates the feasibility of using web-based technologies in a gaming methodology to meet different learning style needs effectively for a diverse group of engineering and business students, the broader impact upon teaching methods in engineering design and decision-making could be transformative for the engineering curriculum. The risks involved include the concern that while engineering students may enjoy this technological gaming approach, this may not be an effective learning mechanism and the students may not learn the desired material. A second risk is that the "technology gap" between different groups of students may not have closed sufficiently to assure advancing diversity rather than disenfranchising less technically adept students.
