Electric Worlds in the Classroom

We all know that kids like video games, so why not help them learn course content in these virtual worlds? This guidebook will help teachers (grades 6-12) do exactly that. The authors provide a diverse collection of lively and engaging virtual spaces where students engage in role-based learning. The context might be a gigantic imaginary plant cell, where students learn the role of a biologist, or it might be a shallow valley where they learn to act like a geologist. Students learn to conduct experiments, analyze results, draw conclusions, and ultimately, write their own story as they experienced it. This book features: a nontechnical presentation that will assist all educators who want to use technology to improve student learning; a large collection of goal-oriented, multi-user games to teach various concepts in geology, biology, computer science, microeconomics, and archaeology; the combined talents of computer programmers, subject matter experts, graphic designers, education specialists, and cognitive scientists who created the virtual worlds presented in this book.