EGC Video
http://media.nmc.org/2010/03/egc-video.mp4

Who am I
• I ask this daily!
• Lead Instructional Designer at PSU
• At PSU 26 years
• Work at Education Technology Services

Why I Do This - Games
• Games have many motivational aspects
– http://archive.nmc.org/events/2006summerconf/mate
rials/Bixler/m&g.pdf
• Games hit our affect
• Games can tap into different innate aspects of
the individual – explorer, achiever, socializer,
killer
– See Bartle, http://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm
• Why can’t education be fun?

Why I Do This – Virtual
Worlds
• Sense of self FREEDOM
– You care about your presence
• Death of distance Flow
Repe,,on
• Power of presence
Experimenta,on
– Immersive AND social
Engagement
• Pervasiveness of practice Doing
• Enrichment of experience Observing
– Safe place Mo,va,on
– Lowered inhibitions
Adapted from Karl Kapp - http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/

Why I Do This - Simulations
• Faculty are more receptive
• Can practice complex procedures
• Can increase the efficiency of an individual
for a particular process
• Inspirational and motivating
• Fail-safe

Why I Do This – Fringe Benefits

Why I Do This – Future Wisdom
http://media.nmc.org/2010/03/why-games.mov

Past “Stuff”
A Day
in the
Life…

Past “Stuff”
S.C.O.R.E.

Past “Stuff”
Old-style RPG
Games

What is the Educational
Gaming Commons?
• EGC
• Two years old
• Mission – Support teaching, learning, &
research in educational games, virtual
worlds, & simulations

EGC Goals
• Stimulate research, application and
education utilizing games, and virtual
environments
• Develop educational games
• Create an Affiliate Program
• Implement the Educational Gaming
Commons Lab

Who is Involved?
• Staff
– Brett Bixler – Manager (60%)
– Chris Stubbs – Education Technologist (20%)
– Elizabeth Pyatt – Instructional Designer (30%)
– Jason Wolfe – Programmer (100%)
– Interns (10-20 hrs/wk)

EGC History
• Fall 07
– Formation of the
following groups:
– Steering Committee
– Labs Sub-Committee
– Community Hub
Sub-Committee
– Committees guided
infrastructure development

EGC History - 2
• Develop the Affiliate Program
– Provides opportunities for faculty, staff, and
students with interest in serious games to
establish a connection to the EGC
– EGC acts as a catalyst
• Establish the Gaming Commons Community
Hub
– Similar to existing ETS hubs
– Contains Affiliate Program
– http://gaming.psu.edu

EGC History - 3
• Spring through Summer 2008
– General Awareness PR Campaign
– Continue Implementation of Affiliate Program
– Workshops for faculty, researchers, and
instructors
– Sample Educational Game Development
• EcoRacer
– Physical Game Lab Design & Development

EGC History - 4
EcoRacer
•Supplemental
•Raise environmental
awareness
•Fuel types
•gas
•solar
•wind
•hydrogen

EGC Accomplishments
• Projects
– Engagement Initiatives
– One-on-one consultations
– Sponsoring presentations, guest speakers,
etc.
• EGC Lab
– Innovative space containing PCs, game
consoles, and a variety of games, virtual
worlds, and simulations

EGC Accomplishments - 2
• Active Second Life Presence
– Virtual Hacienda
– Virtual Palmer
Museum
– Many spaces
for faculty to
experiment

EGC Accomplishments - 3
• EGC Works Podcast Series
– http://podcasts.psu.edu
• Click “Access Open Content”
• Click “Information Technology Services”
• Game-like activities in the class
– Useful for the five-minute game
– Easy to prepare and run

EGC Engagement Initiatives
Chemblaster

EGC Engagement Initiatives
Typo!

EGC Guests
Blizzard

EGC Lab
• Designed for research, teaching, learning
• Space is where the first computer lab at
PSU was installed in 1988
• In a freshman dorm
• If not reserved, an open lab for fun

EGC Lab Design
Started with overhead
diagram

EGC Lab Design - 2
Then a
mockup in
Second Life

EGC Lab Design - 3
• Involved a team that works on computer labs
and learning space designs
• Worked with PSU Office of the Physical Plant
before and during the room renovation
• Hired an outside company to do the video
switching unit
• Involved faculty and students in design
questions
• Brought in a sound engineer to test the
sound levels

EGC Lab Design - 4
• Results – Innovative space
• Card swipe into the room for security
• Eight PCs
– Two groups of four
– Software in on DVDs or loaded via Steam
• One Wii, PS3, Xbox
– In locked cabinets
• Ceiling Projector

EGC Lab Design - 5
• Five wall-mounted LCD panels
• Video Switch Unit
– Can output video & audio from any PC,
Console to any LCD or ceiling projector
– Can accept video (VGA) & audio in from five
additional sources
• Wireless in the room is robust
• Five mobility ports allow five hard-wired
connections to the internet

EGC Lab Design – PC DVDs
• Remain a sticking point – too many
updates!

EGC Lab Design - Security
Card Swipe
Cameras

EGC Lab Design – Security - 2
Computer Access

EGC Lab Design – Security - 3
Console Access

EGC Lab Design – Security - 4
Console Security
All hooked to a Cisco Firewall with certain
ports blocked on each console.

EGC Lab Design – Video &
Audio
Choose
Choose Output 
Source

EGC Lab – Results - 1
• A vibrant space where research, teaching, and
learning occur around educational gaming,
virtual worlds, and simulations.

EGC Lab – Results - 2

EGC Lab – Results - 3

EGC Lab – Results - 4

EGC Futures – Leveling up!
• Continue to grow faculty contacts
• Continue Engagement Initiatives
• Build a second lab?
• Mobile games
• Partnerships with other Universities and
businesses

EGC Lab – Questions?