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Omniscient webcam to deter distance education cheating
We're fairly sure that none of you angels out there enrolled in distance education courses have ever considered sneaking a peek in the textbook or seeing what Google had to say about a perplexing mid-term question, but for Troy University students, a new device is being deployed to make absolutely certain. The webcam-based unit was crafted by Software Secure, and simultaneously freezes the test taker's computer so he / she can only access the test module and records both audio and video whilst flagging "questionable" movements that the instructor can review for unpropitious behavior. Thankfully for those of us not enrolled at Troy, it doesn't look like any other institutions have hopped on board just yet, but if you've grown reliant on computer assistance to get you those As Cs, we wouldn't put off graduating for much longer.
Are today's students getting enough gaming time?
There's an alarming epidemic facing high school graduates in this country. No, we're not talking about literacy or obesity or anything so unimportant. We're talking about video games. Get your priorities straight, people!According to a shocking report in the Dayton Daily News, the graduating class of 2007 is being distracted from important game-playing time by attention-stealing activities like "homework, jobs and extracurricular activities." That's right ... the promise of our future would rather do their homework than put in the important gaming time that will help them grow into mature and active adult gamers.What's worse, some of today's graduating seniors have a hard time envisioning a future that included normative social gaming. "If some guy was like 'You want to go on a date? We could play Guitar Hero,' and I'm 30, I'd be, like, 'No!,' " said one such lost youth. It's enough to make you long for the good old days when students knew how important a Pac-Man high score was to their future.[Via Gaming Today]
The DS takes Kyoto, education style
Last fall, we wrote about a pilot program with the DS that was being tested in a secondary school in Japan. Eight months later, it seems that program bore fruit, because now it's being implemented in all the upper schools in the city of Yawata in Kyoto, Japan. Using Chuugaku Eitango Target 1800 DS markedly improved students' English vocabulary -- they showed increases that averaged at 40%. Now we want our language games just that much more.
Hot new anti-cheating tool: RFID tagging exams
Given the vast amount of digital goodies that can be utilized as tools to gain an unfair advantage in certain testing situations, it's about time we see the officials fight fire with fire. With some schools banning iPods while others tie them into the learning process, Edexcel is looking to nip any potential theft problems in the bud by tagging packs of GCSE and A-level papers with RFID. Reportedly, the level of security surrounding these papers is already quite strict, and while actual cases of theft have remained relatively small so far, the exam board's not willing to risk it. The papers are apparently quite tempting targets for larceny, as past episodes have landed the confidential information on underground markets and even the internet, and the new tagging system will keep track of "how many papers are in the bundle, where they came from, and where they are going." Interestingly, it was noted that the packs wouldn't actually be tracked remotely, but instead would "speed up checks carried out by compliance officers." Currently, a "major trial" is already underway to presumably judge the effectiveness of the new anti-cheating system, so we'd think twice before snagging that pack of papers laying on the teacher's deserted desk.[Via The Register]
DigiPen students penning deal with the IP devil?
Here's a little tale of warning for all future attendees of "schools" like DigiPen: Read the fine print! As Kim Pallister, business developer for Microsoft Casual Games, was "shocked" to discover, the students who created Toblo don't actually own the rights to their intellectual property. Toblo, the 2007 Independent Games Festival Best Student Game winner, is actually the property of the DigiPen school business and games development apprenticeship institute. Well, ain't that just a kick in the junk?Steve Chiavelli, one of the creators of Toblo said in a post, "We knowingly (naively?) signed away the rights to everything we would make when entering DigiPen. Personally, it seemed like a good trade-off. I would be attending what I had researched to be arguably the best place for learning how to be a game programmer."We wonder if the other "school," Full Sail, has the same policy? Poor students, in the words of Ursula from The Little Mermaid, "You've got your looks, your pretty face and don't forget the importance of body language." 'Cause your brain, your brain belongs to DigiPen.[Via GameSetWatch]
Schools ditching laptop programs en masse
We know deans, principals, and presidents -- it sounded like such a terrific idea at the time, eh? Apparently, the notion that throwing a portal into the world laptop in front of easily distracted and technologically savvy kids doesn't look so rosy anymore, as the NYTimes is reporting that many schools across America are finally ditching one-to-one laptop programs after seeing "literally no evidence it had any impact on student achievement." Of course, a good deal of teachers already had beef with the idea, and schools have subsequently found out that allowing DAPs or even WiFi in a supposed learning environment just might cause more harm than good, but in a particular New York high school, students tended to "crash the network" during study hall rather than actually complete work. Interestingly, studies also insinuated that in-class laptops proved more of a hindrance than a learning liaison regardless if the school was considered affluent or low-income. And these overseas officials really think its youngsters are going to utilize the OLPC for learning purposes. Right on.
US schools banning iPods, DAPs to curb digital cheating
Slowly but surely, phenomenons such as texting and digital cheating are being both accepted and rejected (respectively) in high schools across the US. Apparently, school boards are just now figuring out what an iPod is truly capable of, as the gigabytes of space can hold an awful lot more cheat sheets than a mere TI-83 can (fess up old schoolers, we all did it). While cellphone bans have typically been in effect for some time now, it appears that the secret of using display-touting DAPs and PMPs to cheat is coming out, but why in the world has it taken this long? Besides that, we find it a bit curious that teachers weren't already frustrated with being tuned into with just one ear, as it seems that music players in general would cause quite the distraction in your average high school learning session. Still, it won't be long before diminutive Bluetooth earphones become all the rage, and once more institutions of learning will be futilely fighting the same battle all over again.
California Senate attempts to ban RFID tracking of students
It looks like the backlash from one California school's attempt at mandatory RFID tracking of students could end up prompting a statewide ban of the practice, if the state Senate has its way. In that first instance, Brittan Elementary School in Sutter, California attempted to require all students to carry RFID-equipped ID cards that would allow them to be tracked throughout the school, supposedly to simplify attendance-taking and reduce vandalism. That plan quickly backfired, however, and the school put the kibosh on the program. Under this new law, all schools would be prohibited from requiring students to carry RFID cards (or, presumably, be implanted with 'em) until 2011, when the practice would be reconsidered, according to The Register. Democrat Joe Simitian (who introduced the legislation) doesn't seem to be stopping there though, also proposing bills that would place a temporary ban on RFIDs in driver's licenses, add additional privacy safeguards to RFID-enabled government IDs and, of course, restrict forced RFID implants in people.
Arkansas school to trial iPod, WiFi-equipped school bus
If you thought taking a ride on the GamerBUS was a thrill, this one will really make you long to be a youngster in Arkansas again. Reportedly, the Sheridan school district is launching the Aspirnaut Initiative to bring laptops, iPods, and wireless internet right onto Bus 46, and amazingly, they expect kids to actually glean knowledge rather than hit up a round or two of Counter-Strike. The project hopes to make the unbelievably long (three hours, to be exact) commute that some rural students face a bit less boring and a tad more educational, as students will have access to informational podcasts and web-based learning modules whilst cruising on home. Interestingly, the three-year pilot project will not give students class credit for their extra effort initially, but for brainiacs who stick with the program, they'll purportedly be keeping the goods for themselves once the trial run concludes.[Via ArsTechnica]
Texas Instruments finally gets fresh, unveils TI-Nspire calculators
We're not exactly sure if Texas Instruments' widely utilized TI-83 / TI-84 line of calculators have reached the same success as Casio (but it's fairly safe to assume a "yes"), but the firm is finally throwing out a substantial update to the graphing calculators that you, your folks, and probably your grandparents all used throughout high school. The TI-Nspire lineup maintains the same relative form factor, but offers up a few swank advancements such as multiple representations, "grab-and-move" functionality, resizing, dynamic linking, and of course, the oh-so-sweet ability to save and edit in-progress work (shown after the jump) right on the device. Additionally, Windows / OS X software will be available to mimic the on-screen abilities of the handhelds, which means those days of viewing the monochrome display via an overhead projector are long gone, and for those who just aren't willing to make the transition, TI is even including a snap-in TI-83 / TI-84 Plus keypad so you can upgrade your machine without relearning keystrokes. The TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS are both slated to hit instructional dealers this Fall for educators (commercially available by Fall 2008), so we'd suggest pinching those pennies now in back-to-school anticipation.
Play DS while learning to drive
Vingt-et-Un, the developer responsible for some of the weirder Simple 2000 games like The Zombie vs. Ambulance, have created a new entry in D3 Publisher's Simple DS series. Simple DS Vol. 14: The Driving School is a DS program designed to teach the rules of the road, with text-based quizzes and drills. It also attempts to teach driving skill with "practical" driving-instruction segments. This looks great for us, since we taught ourselves to drive on Spy Hunter anyway. We just need to break our habit of trying to drive into 18-wheelers and we'll have it down. While we're talking about this game, we want to complain about the lack of Simple series games in the US. D3 started a US branch, and they currently publish the Naruto games, but the only games we've seen from their hilarious budget series were Break 'em All and Dino Rider. The Xbox 360 just got Earth Defense Force-- we hope that's the start of a trend.
Kansas schools ban Pokemon. NOT!
This is your friendly neighborhood rumor debunker, letting you all know that, despite what you may have read presented as fact elsewhere, the Kansas school board has NOT banned Pokemon products for promoting evolution content, as was amusingly asserted in this Daily Gaming News article.Evidence to this effect (in rough ascending order of persuasiveness): The AP and other national news organizations failed to pick up the story, despite obvious newsworthiness and popular interest. National news outlets also failed to pick up the supposed church-led "Pokemon burnings" that supposedly led up to the decision. The "Calvary Glorious Christ Church Militant and Triumphant Baptist Temple" mentioned in the article turns up exactly one Google result -- the article itself. The Kansas School Board web site makes no mention of such an action. The ACLU web site makes no mention of the alleged lawsuit against the school board. The title bar on every page of Daily Gaming News includes the phrase "Seriously Satirical." Everything on the Daily Gaming News site is an obvious joke, from a preview of Dentist Dentist Revolution to Latin textbooks containing a guild naming chapter. Remember, just because April Fools Day is over doesn't mean we can let our guard down when it comes to picking out fake stories. Eternal vigilance is the price we pay for accurate game news.[Thanks, Keavin]
Schoolhouse 2
School is a lot of work as it is without having to worry about how you're going to remember that you have an essay due next Monday for your Sub-Aquatic Fiber Arts class. Some people swear by the tried-and-true paper notebook, while others can't cope without their fancy PDA. While there are a few software options for those hardcore geeks (like me) who take their computers everywhere with them (including class), Schoolhouse is far-and-away my personal favorite. In addition to an almost totally redesigned interface, version 2 introduces some really handy new features including the ability to attach files to assignments, sub-tasks for multi-step assignments such as research papers, and a way to store all your class notes directly inside Schoolhouse. Schoolhouse is available as a free download– all the developer asks is if you enjoy and use the software, that you consider donating (unfortunately, the donate link is currently down).[via Lifehacker]
British school chooses PSPs over textbooks
The Nintendo DS may currently have the better reputation for educational-related activities, with Brain Age and similar titles molding minds young and old alike, but a school in England looks to be doing its best to sway things in the PlayStation Portable's favor, announcing that's it'll soon begin employing some of the handheld's non-gaming functions to take the place of old school textbooks. According to The Daily Mail, some 30 students will be given PSPs as part of the pilot program, which apparently could be expanded nationwide if it proves to be successful (one sure way to boost sales). While we're all for putting the PSP to some non-intended uses, we can't help but think that the school is overlooking some of the educational benefits of the PSP's gaming options. After all, you never know when the life skills learned from guiding all those LocoRocos to safety may come in handy.[Via The Inquirer]
PSPs used to teach UK students
Sony held an interesting event in London today: "PSP in Education National Launch." The event focused on a new project to be helmed by ConnectED that uses Sony's handheld gaming device for educational purposes. According to Gamespot, "teachers found that students benefited from being able to work at their own pace--for example, being able to rewind an audio file and listen again to ensure they didn't miss anything, or to view a video several times."This is certainly an interesting approach for Sony to pursue. Nintendo may be grabbing headlines with its Brain Age series of software, but Sony's approach has an observable, charitable effect for children. The project is planned to expand slowly--but not to America. Our media likes to skew perception of gaming in a completely useless, unconstructive way.
High School Musical brings karaoke, microphone to Wii
The first Wii game likely to ship with a peripheral in the US (not counting foam doodads) is not a Nintendo first party game. It is a licensed game. From Disney. Based on a made-for-TV movie. Disney Interactive is bringing an adaptation of their hit movie High School Musical to the Wii as a karaoke game. The story of the game will follow the first movie, while also affording players the chance to sing the songs from the second. We weren't really aware karaoke games needed or could support stories, but we'll accept it. High School Musical is set to ship this August with an included microphone.High School Musical is facing competition only from Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party in the race to be the first US-released Wii game with a special controller as well as the first full music game for the system. That's pretty progressive for Disney!
High School Musical: from the Disney Channel to your DS
We aren't sure how to feel about the announcement of DS and Wii games based on the Disney TV-movie High School Musical. On the one hand, it they're music games, and we categorically get very, very excited about all music games. On the other hand, it's based on a made-for-television movie, which, despite High School Musical's popularity, still makes a negative statement about the quality of the property. The DS game involves dancing competitively, and creating and sharing videos of those dance performances-- it sounds kind of like Unison. We're going to have to go watch the movie now and try to sort out our feelings.
Atomic force microscope takes a closer look at individual atoms
Hot on the heels of Purdue's Mini 10 chemical analyzer comes a (somewhat) similar creature from the other side of the globe, as Osaka University's Yoshiaki Sugimoto and colleagues have "found a way to use the atomic force microscope to produce images that reveal the chemical identity of individual atoms on a surface." Essentially, this new discovery allows scientists to look at a mixed material and "pick out individual atoms of different elements on its surface, such as tin or silicon." The microscopes themselves are quite common in this realm, but until now, they have not been capable of distinguishing between atoms of different chemical elements. The atomic fingerprint, as it's so aptly named, is what the crew scrutinized in order to distinguish between varying atoms on a sample surface, as they witnessed that the relationship between force and distance is "slightly different for atoms of different elements." Of course, we have to look for the practical use in all this hubbub, and a non-participating scientist from the UK has insinuated that the discovery could be useful for nanotechnology researchers trying to design devices at the molecular level -- and who wouldn't be down a little nanotech garb or a snazzy new water-repelling umbrella?
iPod deemed a "criminal tool" in high school security breach
It was essentially inevitible that Nintendo's Wiimote was destined to become a weapon of mass destruction, and while we've seen folks jailed and even killed over an iPod, even we're a bit hesitant to call the blunt object a "criminal tool." Still, that's precisely what a former Clay High School junior was purportedly using when he "hacked into school personnel and student files" and transferred sensitive information to his dubious Pod. After threatening to "open up a credit card in someone's name and ruin their credit," school officials began to investigate the situation, and were quite relieved when they discovered the breach before any of the data was used with ill intentions. Currently, no court date has been set for the youngster's criminal case, but considering all the grief being endured in order to keep those files from leaving school grounds, one just has to wonder what secrets could possibly be held in those potentially steamy "personnel files."[Thanks, Ray]
Gamez R gud for learnin', sez researcherz
The Chicago Tribune has written up a nice little survey of some of the research being done on the educational benefits of video games. The studies are still too early on to generate any real conclusions, but the anecdotal evidence is impressive, according to the article. Researchers are lauding the critical thinking skills engendered by simulation and role-playing games, and the ability of games to keep terminally bored students engaged with a subject. Even the socialization offered by talking about a game like Grand Theft Auto has educational value, according to the University of Wisconsin's Kurt Squire.
