Created Realities Group News and Reports

Chalk House Spring 2010 Research Trial

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:20:50 -0600

Chalk House Spring 2010 Research Trial

February 1, 2010

Chalk House Spring 2010 Research

Thanks for showing interest in Chalk House, CRG's serious game focused on student literacy grades six through eight. We wanted to update you on Chalk House and invite you to participate in the spring trail.

We learned a lot from the fall trial and over the break have been busy working on improving the Chalk House experience.

If you would like to participate in the spring 2010 research trail, please send us an e-mail so that we can get you started.

The spring 2010 research trial will happen between now and June. We are looking for students, schools, and teachers that can use the software during the spring.

As most of you know on this announcement list, Chalk House is designed to engage students in increased reading time with additional writing requirements. It is expected the feedback received during the project will allow us to measure the impact of the game on student learning. Based on past research and the input we received this past fall, we are confident that the software will benefit students by improving standardized test scores and increasing their willingness to read.

The following is a partial list of requirements to participate:

* Requirements of the Testing

1. The ability to use the software in a classroom setting for 10-15 hours.
2. Class size between 1 and 30 students.
3. Student access to computer equipment capable of running the software (Java equipped with Internet Access).
4. Instructor ability to participate in discussion list/forum during the research trial.

* Requirements of the Research

1. Ability to get consent forms signed by instructor, students, and parents and submitted before use of the software.
2. Ability to administer pre- and post- tests before and after software use.
3. The school will provide a letter on official letterhead from the supervising manager (superintendent, principal, etc) of the school or district (as determined by the school) – an example letter can be provided.

We are looking forward to having a number of schools involved in the spring research project!

Greg Jones
greg@created-realities.com

Chalk House Fall 2009 Research Trial

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:05:44 -0500

We are now accepting applications for participation in the fall research. Dr. Scott Warren, at the University of North Texas, will be working with us to conduct the formal research of Chalk House with students. CRG will provide free Chalk House client software, accounts for server access during the trial, and teacher training.

The fall 2009 research trial will happen between September 15 and December 20, 2009. We are looking for schools and teachers that can use the software for about 10-15 hours of use during the fall. The deadline for application is August 30, 2009.

Chalk House is designed to engage students in increased reading time with additional writing requirements. It is expected the feedback received during the project will allow Dr. Warren and CRG to measure the impact of the game on student learning. Based on past research, we believe use of the software will benefit students by improving standardized test scores and increasing their willingness to read.

E-mail crg@created-realities.com to request information and the application.

Chalk House Demo

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:06:48 -0500

The Chalk House Demo is now available.

Chalk House Update - March

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:03:34 -0500

We are finishing up the last internal revisions before having additional teachers and students use test the software. We have a list of teachers interested in providing feedback, but are always looking for more teachers and schools interested in particiapting in research of the learning module.

The main purposes of Chalk House is four-fold: it 1) prepare students for inquiry-related experiences by targeting improvements in organizational and learning skills such as note taking, peer review, and collaboration; 2) improve student descriptive report writing by providing expert feedback while making it part game play; 3) increase student reading recall, comprehension, and vocabulary by providing motivating reasons to read and game-related uses for what they have learned and; 4) provide students with the opportunity to enhance critical thinking, problem solving, and inference skills through game play prior to engaging in other forms of inquiry.
For more information contact crg@created-realities.com

CRG End of the Year 2008 News

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 06:33:15 -0500

Chalk House continues in use testing. We will be pushing forward to completing testing and enter production in 2009. We look forward to that milestone.

We are looking forward to getting Chalk House into production and welcome schools interested in participating in our formal research efforts.

CRG End of the Year 2007 News

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:40:31 -0600

Lots of news to end the year. Chalk House is in use testing, with two school districts scheduled to begin use in the spring of 2008. CRG will be showing Chalk House at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) the first of February (booth 2319). The online demo of Chalk House will be available shortly after the TCEA convention. The CRG Distance Learning System (DLS) has been in stable use the past six months at two universities. While CRG is focused on Chalk House, we are continuing active development of the 3D online learning environment for future sales. We are looking forward to getting Chalk House into production and welcome schools interested in participating in our formal research efforts.

CRG RSS Feed

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:33:35 -0600

The CRG RSS Feed is now available to those who like to follow content changes, news, and reports.

ChalkHouse Update

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 22:50:15 -0600

Chalk House is in testing and plans are to have limited classroom testing with students later this year. CRG and DRC are looking for teachers and schools interested in particiapting in research of the learning module during 2008.

The main purposes of Chalk House is four-fold: it 1) prepare students for inquiry-related experiences by targeting improvements in organizational and learning skills such as note taking, peer review, and collaboration; 2) improve student descriptive report writing by providing expert feedback while making it part game play; 3) increase student reading recall, comprehension, and vocabulary by providing motivating reasons to read and game-related uses for what they have learned and; 4) provide students with the opportunity to enhance critical thinking, problem solving, and inference skills through game play prior to engaging in other forms of inquiry. For more information contact crg@created-realities.com.

ChalkHouse Shown at NECC 2007

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:50:19 -0500

Scott Warren and Greg Jones presented Chalk House for the first time to educators during the 2007 National Educational Computing Conference in Atlanta. There was a lot of interest in the development and we hope that many of the teachers and schools that showed interest in the development will select to participate during the design and research in the fall.

ChalkHouse Development Continues

Tue, 01 May 2007 22:47:24 -0500

Development of Chalk House continues on schedule. Critical Mass Interactive, a design firm in Austin, has joined the project to provide art and environments for the project. CMI has been very supportive of CRG's work in the past few years. Thanks guys!

Chalk House, the first in a series of situated learning modules being developed as a collaboration between Created Realities Group and the Design+Research Collective, is an online computer-based 3D environment in which game play and engaging narrative are used to improve student literacy skills. Chalk House uses the CRG 3D online learning environment to deliver this learning module. Stay turned for more information as development continues. For more information contact crg@created-realities.com

CRG DLS v5 Beta Testing

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 23:51:05 -0600

The v5 Distributed Learning System has been released to Beta Testing. Testers in several locations are using the environment for university course delivery. A production release is scheduled for later this year. For more information contact crg@created-realities.com

Chalk House: 3-D Game for Building Middle School Literacy

Sun, 17 Jun 2007 22:53:54 -0600

The bring your own laptop (BYOL) workhsop allowed participants to explore and play the Chalk House 3D online learning module. The presentation focused on the potential of games and simulations in the classroom with a focus on Chalk House that is aimed an 6th and 8th grade literacy issues. The discussion during the hands-on section reviewed current research and examined the Iterative design process. This form of learning environment affords instructors with a novel and effective means for enhancing interaction and feedback to students in online situations. This is possible because of the multi-modal approach to the interactions available and the constructivist nature of the learning environment.

A Virtual School Environment for Enhancing College Preparation And Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers In Rural School Districts

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 22:53:51 -0600

This article introduces a concept for increasing the number of high school students in rural areas that seek college education by restructuring current concepts of how school infrastructure is defined and implemented. The underlying assumption for this paper is that every child of the Xbox generation can have access to a caring, competent, highly qualified teacher in every subject he/she studies when schools cooperate in a larger educational entity (a virtual cooperative school district) that can take advantage of the benefits of both existing infrastructure and modern telecomputing technology. The anticipated result is that high school students who might not attend college because of lack of preparation, understanding, and support will have the opportunity to effectively prepare, attend, and be successful in college.

Touring Mars Online, Real-time, in 3D for Math and Science Educators and Students

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:53:47 -0600

This article discusses a project that placed over ninety-seven percent of Mars’ topography made available from NASA into an interactive 3D multi-user online learning environment beginning in 2003. In 2005 curriculum materials that were created to support middle school math and science education were developed. Research conducted at the University of North Texas with students using the system will be presented as well. The immersive nature of these multi-user online collaborative environments that support both exploration and learning provide new and powerful ways to engage and educate students interested in math and science.

Accelerating online text-based discourse via 3d online learning environments.

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:53:44 -0600

3D online learning environments, which are an extension of modern massively multiplayer online game concepts with additional collaborative tools integrated into the client for use in education, can be configured such that it provides a low-cost entry into the technology for programs and departments and have impact almost immediately to enhance traditional text-based online course delivery. This paper will discuss research at the University of North Texas in the use of such an environment and how it has positively impacted online discourse in courses between 2003 and 2005.

CRG Past News

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 22:25:21 -0600

CRG News from 2001-2005.

3-Dimensional online learning environments: Examining attitudes toward information technology between students in Internet-based 3-dimensional and face-to-face classroom instruction

Sat, 17 Sep 2005 22:53:40 -0600

3-dimensional online learning environments can provide a means for users with limited connectivity to the Internet to participate as fully as their broadband-enabled peers in collaborative experiences, information sharing and feedback. Nearly 90% of the universities in the USA that support distributed learning programmes use web-based course delivery methods. Directors of these programmes state that web-based delivery allows them to handle the wide range of connectivity among student populations. 3-dimensional online learning environments can increase online course interaction and feedback beyond current web-based document delivery in a cost effective and scaleable manner. This article examines attitudes to information technology of students in a 3-dimensional online learning environment versus those involved in face-to-face classroom instruction at the University of North Texas. We were interested in looking to see how the benefits of immersion, interaction and feedback provided by the 3-dimensional online learning environment would impact on the students? attitudes to information technology for an established traditional course.

3D Graphical Multi-User Online Learning Environments for Internet-based Distributed Learning: First Year Result

Thu, 17 Jun 2004 22:53:37 -0600

This paper presents first year (baseline) research into using a 3D on-line learning environment for teaching Computers in Education, a course at the University of North Texas for pre-service teachers (students who are training to become teachers). The study looked at nine sections of the course during the fall semester of 2003. Three of the sections used the 3D online learning system, while the remaining six sections took the course in the normal face-to-face manner. Several interesting patterns emerged during exploratory analysis of this data.