Workshop Overview

Note: This workshop has already taken place.

This workshop will bring together a small group of 10 geoscientists and educators who are currently engaged in teaching with on-line games or environments in geoscience and beyond. We will use a combination of synchronous and asynchronous communication using web-conferencing, phone, email, collaborative editing tools, individually and community authored web-pages, and other web-based communications tools to

  • share examples of the use of on-line games in higher education, particularly in the geosciences
  • learn from leaders in the field
  • discuss challenges and opportunities surrounding several aspects of creating and using on-line games and environments in teaching undergraduate geoscience
  • develop a synthesis of the affordances, challenges and our recommendations for games in undergraduate geoscience education.

This workshop is the first of its kind run by the On the Cutting Edge program. Participants will be exploring the pedagogy of virtual workshops and will be engaged in the design of the workshop experience.

The goals of the workshop are to:

  • develop an online collection that showcase the best of what is being done with on-line games and simulations at the undergraduate level.
  • learn from each other and experts beyond the geosciences
  • create a core community of geoscience educators interested in on-line games and environments in higher education
  • explore the use of virtual workshops in the On the Cutting Edge program

This workshop is designed to explore ideas on the leading edge of geoscience education. Participants are sought who have active experience with games or on-line environments and who are committed to sharing their expertise through on-line resources developed as part of the workshop experience.

Applications are invited from:

  • geoscience faculty currently teaching with on-line games or environments
  • others whose focus is on the development and use of on-line games or environments in higher education.

The application deadline has been extended to February 29, 2008.

Dates

The workshop will begin on Monday, April 21, 2008 and will end on Thursday, April 24. Participants must attend all sessions and participate in all activities. We anticipate that this will take 12-16 hours over the course of the four days.

Expectations

Participants are expected to:

  • Develop in advance of the workshop a resource for the website that introduces their work with on-line games or environments.
  • Contribute to website resource collections prior to and following the workshop
  • Prepare for workshop discussions via readings, writings, discussion or other activities developed by workshop leaders
  • Participate fully in the entire workshop
  • Retain a sense of humor throughout this experiment in virtual interaction

Cost

This workshop is offered free of charged to selected participants.

Application and Selection Criteria

Your application must be submitted by February 29, 2008. The workshop size is limited to 10 participants. The final list of participants will be established with the goal of assembling a group with expertise in the use of on-line games and environments that can effectively explore their potential for the future. Preference is given to applicants who hold faculty positions at colleges and universities. Applicants will be notified of selection in early March 2008. For more information visit the general information for workshop participants page.

For More Information

Please contact Cathy Manduca or Sean Fox at the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.