Research about education through gaming - Need your help

[Mandreak]

Hi!

We are two researchers at Stockholm University, department of Computer and System Sciences, doing a study on the educative qualities of commercial computer games.The aim of the study is to gain further knowledge of what motivates players in educational computer games. To understand the area better we have designed a survey to collect data from the players of a few chosen games.

Kerbal Space Program has been chosen because of it’s educational qualities, and we are asking you as a player of Kerbal Space Program to please take a few minutes to answer a few questions about your experience. It will take less than 5 minutes to complete. Your help would be greatly appreciated, and may aid in further research in the area of technology enhanced learning.

link to questionnaire: http://goo.gl/forms/RG45g4voxr

thank you!

Edited April 2, 2015 by KasperVld
fixed typos

[tetryds]

KSP did not turn me into the nerd that I am, but it surely directed my interests towards rocketry a lot more.

I have achieved a lot because of this game and that is one of the many awesome things about it

[Guest]

I have taught and have family that teach and our general consensus is that it really isn't worth the time or effort. At least in the UK - all of the science/mathematics exams (L3+) are exam based, and you're going to get little help out of playing a game like KSP. Sure, it might make it easier to see some of the orbital mechanics at work, but circles on the board are almost always enough.

I'm not against using games in education, I'm just sure doing past papers and actual teaching is better use of your time.

Note: This does not include modifications of games designed for education (like KSP) i'm sure this is a lot, lot better however you stipulated a commercial game :-)

[Superluminaut]

Keep in mind KSP is in development. For earlier adopters it was a very different experience and lacked tutorials.

[Rolanvorxariat]

It is what turned me into the guy who watches Doctor Who every morning and earned me the title "Go-to-guy-for-SAT-answers".

[DuoDex]

It is what turned me into the guy who watches Doctor Who every morning and earned me the title "Go-to-guy-for-SAT-answers".

Eleventh Doctor best Doctor.

I do understand rocketry a bit better now. I cringed at several scenes in Kill the Moon, ones that I would not have if I didn't play Kerbal Space program. Although giant spider prokaryotes is unacceptable.

[Tweety]

I have learnt an enormous amount of information from playing KSP, then failing, then checking the mighty forum, then replaying

Without everyone here pointing me to sources and videos etc (google search and OLD threads are extremely useful) I would still be messing around in the souposphere. Now would be a good time to thank you all!

Thanks all!

Tweety

[linkxsc]

Filled it out. I can say that Ive learned a lot about astrophysics (and aeronautics) due to playing KSP and the forums here and such. But the game itself isnt really "educational". I know people who play this all the time and cant put 2 and 2 together and understand why stuff we do in space is done that way. At the same time though, a lot of others who Ive shown the game to who got into it.

KSP is more like a gateway. You can read about say, how we put satellites up in space, or how an orbital rendezvous is accomplished. But it probably never clicks in a persons mind. Give them your laptop with KSP on it for a week though, and let them try and do it themselves. Suddenly it starts making more sense.

Its a way to give a person a hands on way to learn as opposed to just reading or listening.

I know that when I was subbing a couple years ago for a physics teacher and was doing the little bit at the end of the year about space orbits and such. Was literally 2 days before those classes that I found KSP. (Already had a prewritten plan from the normal teacher so I didnt even really understand a lot of the stuff.)

Wanna make a good presentation for some kids that getting to orbit takes more going sideways than vertical?

I remember when I was in school we watched an expensive produced documentary about that stuff. When I was teaching, I made that documentary in realtime for the class, and let them try to get that damn rocket into orbit.

(Also used it for showing orbital transfers, free return orbits to the mun like Apollo used, GSO, the coriolis effect. And various others.)

[Chowderpat]

KSP made me want to be an astronaut one day. The only problem is that I don't have 20/20 vision.

Edit: Plus I learned a lot of physics from the science forums, I learned about entropy.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Powdercat

[jwenting]

sigh, another "student" thinking he can do meaningful research through spamming gamer forums with a link to some "poll".

[Vanamonde]

Sigh. Another grump who couldn't pass up a thread that didn't interest him without dissing it.

[WinkAllKerb'']

For exemple KSP has so much still dormant edu potential ... math, phy, chi, bio, history, geographia/geologia etc ... i just hope it happen and goes well.

(Now it also has economy and management & founding basis => socio-groups & corporations interactions etc.&etc.&etc.)

I do believe pluridisciplinar light vulgarised approach is often the key to catch both teacher/teaching institution/student(player) interest.

Edited May 24, 2015 by WinkAllKerb''

[Rath]

sigh, another "student" thinking he can do meaningful research through spamming gamer forums with a link to some "poll".

Totally uncalled for.

- - - Updated - - -

And he never said he was a student.