Victorian Space Science Education Centre: Using Games Technology to Engage Students in Space Science
- Paper number
IAC-07-E1.4.04
- Author
Ms. Naomi Mathers, Victorian Space Science Education Centre, Australia
- Coauthor
Mr. Michael Pakakis, Australia
- Coauthor
Dr. John Rankin, Australia
- Year
2007
- Abstract
It has been demonstrated that to be effective, learning needs to connect with students’ lives and with the contemporary thinking in the broader community. The declining number of students studying science and mathematics at senior high school indicates that students are not making this connection. The Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC) was established in Melbourne, Australia in 2006 to address this issue by providing innovative science-based programs that demonstrated the application and relevance of science in a way that is engaging to students. VSSEC has formed a partnership with the Centre for Games Technology at La Trobe University to develop software that uses gaming styles and principles to deliver scientific content. A range of programs have been developed that are scientifically rigorous and develop problem solving skills whilst capitalizing on students’ instinctive attraction to video games. The Centre for Games Technology have developed a range of software packages for VSSEC including the Mission Control software for the Mission to Mars and the Mission to the Space Laboratory for middle school students, the Galactic Explorer to support senior Astrophysics and software that simulates the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at ESA-ESTEC for junior students. This paper presents these software packages, the programs they support and the response from students and teachers. The use of a gaming environment to teach scientific principles has proven very popular with students. When using the Galactic Explorer students travel the galaxy and scan each star for the relevant data, which has been taken from the Gleise Catalogue of Nearby Stars. This information is then used to complete the assessable tasks. Whilst completing their mission, students will encounter anomalies such as meteorite strikes, black holes, Hawking radiation and if they don’t monitor their fuel supply and refuel at stars containing Hydrogen, they will be left stranded until a re-supply ship is sent. This environment has proven to be engaging to students and an effective tool to convey scientific information. With the assistance of the Head of the Concurrent Design Facility (CDF) at ESA-ESTEC, Massimo Bandecchi, VSSEC has developed a program that uses software developed by the Centre for Games Technology to create an exciting environment that introduces junior high school students to the principles of concurrent design and demonstrates how science and mathematics relate to the broader curriculum. This environment has proven effective at engaging students with no existing interest in science as well as science students.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E1.4.04.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.