A Space-Themed Videogame To Deliver Education and Inspiration To Space In the Canale Web Aerospaziale
- Paper number
IAC-05-E1.4.02
- Author
Dr. Luigi Scatteia, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Giuseppe Persechino, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Year
2005
- Abstract
The Canale Web Aerospaziale is a joint educational project between Italian Aerospace Research Centre and Italian Space Agency devoted to space promotion and education, aimed at young students. The project delivers educational contents related to space by mean of broadcast interactive lessons accessible through a net portal and a dedicated satellite channel made available to high schools. In order to increase the audience share, and to reach students outside the schools and non-students as well, the development of an educational and promotional videogame is now running. Videogames have actually an high promoting potential among the masses, thanks to their popularity and diffusion, that nowadays matches or even surpasses the spread and impact of other entertainment media. In addition to the marketing potential, basing on the dual narrative-interactive nature of the videogame a new way to deliver educational messages and academic content may be conceived, realizing a new kind of edutainment software characterised by the absolute predominance of the ludic aspect with seamlessly embedded scientific contents. The basic idea under this new concept is to realize scientific divulgation through direct experience. The rules of the game, which have to be learned in order to master it, become the scientific contents to be learned through direct experience. This educational and instructional method will go beyond traditional science fiction divulgation methods, in which contents are only conveyed through the narrative element. This paper outlines the potential of the videogame medium as space sciences educational tool for young audiences, and describes the edutainment space game concept that is under development within the aforementioned Canale Web Aerospaziale project.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-05-E1.4.02.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.