Scientix 11th SPNE Brussels 18 Mar 2016: eCity
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This document describes an EU-funded project to develop a virtual city environment called eCity to promote problem-based learning for engineering education. The project aims to (1) design a game engine and pedagogical methodology, (2) validate its use in engineering schools, and (3) motivate secondary/vocational students to pursue engineering careers. Eight engineering scenarios are provided for students to manage their virtual city and solve problems related to energy, infrastructure, environment and more. Both secondary/vocational and university engineering students can use eCity to complement their education.
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Scientix 11th SPNE Brussels 18 Mar 2016: eCity
- 1. VIRTUAL CITY ENVIRONMENT FOR ENGINEERING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING 2014-2015 http://ecity-project.eu THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. THIS PUBLICATION REFLECTS THE VIEWS ONLY OF THE AUTHOR, AND THE COMMISSION CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE WHICH MAY BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN.© eeGeo Virtual City Design and manage your own city Problem-based Learning 8 scenarios avaliable to engage into engineering
- 2. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU VIRTUAL CITY ENVIRONMENT FOR ENGINEERING PROBLEM BASED LEARNING 2 THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. THIS PUBLICATION REFLECTS THE VIEWS ONLY OF THE AUTHOR, AND THE COMMISSION CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE WHICH MAY BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN. PARTNERS Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal University of Thessaly, Greece Fondazione Ikaros / Santa Rita, Italy University of Vigo, Spain Virtual Campus, Portugal University of Valencia, Spain Ayas Naime Ali Karatas Cok Programli Lisesi, Turkey
- 3. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Motivations • The difficulty that secondary education students have with Mathematics and other Science. This prevents these students to follow a technical academic path like Engineering. • This is not due to lesser skills of these youngsters but mostly due to wrong teaching strategies. We cannot forget that this generation is the "net- generation" or "digital natives”. 3
- 4. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Goals 1. Design, develop and validate a pedagogical methodology, supported by a city-development game engine (SimCity like). 2. A validated pedagogical methodology to integrate the eCity platform in engineering schools 3. A motivational methodology to be used in secondary or vocational schools to integrate the eCity platform as a complementary activity for students to develop their interest and motivation towards engineering 4
- 5. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Target Groups 1. Students from secondary and vocational schools (initial levels) that need to be motivated to follow and engineering or technical academic career 2. Students from higher education in Engineering careers 3. Teachers/trainers from secondary and vocational schools which will support their students and benefit from the eCity platform as a complement to their teaching 4. Teachers from Higher Education and Engineering faculties that will be able to tutor their students and complement their teaching 5
- 6. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Problem-based Learning (PBL) • Students develop their ability to go through a problem solving process, usually based on real- life situations. • Engineering is one of the areas where PBL is a valid learning alternative. • Games can be instantiated for learning as they involve mental and physical stimulation and develop practical skills. 6
- 7. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Analysis of Best Practices 7 Academic knowledge needed to play Sophisticated design techniques Multiple scenarios Promotion of interes and creativity in players Promotion of social interaction Promoting the use of games Communication on social networks Multilingual and multiplatform Games development Facilitate learning tasks Evaluation
- 8. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Results: eCity Game Engine • Windows • Mac • Linux
- 9. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Results: a set of 8 ready-available problems 99 Energy Distribution Renewable Energies Internet Server Providers Mobile Connection Earthquake Protection Flood Protection Pollution Public Transportation
- 10. HTTP://ECITY-PROJECT.EU Results: Pedagogical and Motivational Methodologies • Students playing the scenarios as an introduction to topics or as a motivation • Engineering students themselves will develop new challenges and problems, applying the concepts learned at higher education • Secondary/Vocational students will be solving the set of project- developed challenges plus the new ones with the support of engineering students 10
- 11. Thanks! Manuel Caeiro Rodríguez Universidade de Vigo manuel.caeiro@uvigo.es THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN FUNDED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. THIS PUBLICATION REFLECTS THE VIEWS ONLY OF THE AUTHOR, AND THE COMMISSION CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY USE WHICH MAY BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN.© eeGeo
Editor's Notes
- The main objective of the eCITY project was to design, develop and validate a city-development simulation platform (Simcity like) which integrates and exploits Problem Based Learning challenges to be used to scaffold learning in engineering schools and, at the same time, foster the interest in Math, Sciences and Engineering in secondary school students.
- The difficulty that secondary education students have with Mathematics and Sciences is a widespread problem in Europe as stated by several international studies like PISA or TIMMS. And even when they do so, they still face a lot of problems on these disciplines at the Higher Education level, which generally demotivates them. This is not due to lesser skills of these students but mostly due to wrong educational strategies. We cannot forget that this generation is the "net-generation" or "digital natives": they are surrounded by technology, absorb information in shorter chunks, expect instant responses and feedback and want to be active in their learning.
- Problem-based learning (PBL) is a learner-centered educational pedagogy in which students develop their ability to go through a problem solving process, usually based on real-life situations. Engineering is one of the areas where PBL is a valid learning alternative and reportedly the benefits for engineering students are considerable improvements in critical, lateral and creative thinking, problem solving skills, group collaboration and communication skills. In a convergent path, games can be instantiated for learning as they involve mental and physical stimulation and develop practical skills – they force the player to decide, to choose, to define priorities, to solve problems, etc. Also important is the fact that the platform will be integrated in a clear pedagogical methodology, PBL-oriented, to ensure that the upmost relevance is given to the learning process, not the technology. Problems or challenges can be fed into the platform as homework, teamwork, curricular activities, extra-curricular competitions, big or small projects, etc. PBL can be incorporated within existing structures with little disruption as it can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore it is not necessary to change the curricular organization as problems can be formatted to different time and work schemes.
- Developed in Unity and available for …