Collaborative gaming and competition for CS-STEM education using SPHERES Zero Robotics
نویسندگان
چکیده
There is widespread investment of resources in the fields of Computer Science, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (CS-STEM) education to improve STEM interests and skills. This paper addresses the goal of revolutionizing student education using collaborative gaming and competition, both in virtual simulation environments and on real hardware in space. The concept is demonstrated using the SPHERES Zero Robotics (ZR) Program which is a robotics programming competition. The robots are miniature satellites called SPHERES—an experimental test bed developed by the MIT SSL on the International Space Station (ISS) to test navigation, formation flight and control algorithms in microgravity. The participants compete to win a technically challenging game by programming their strategies into the SPHERES satellites, completely from a web browser. The programs are demonstrated in simulation, on ground hardware and then in a final competition when an astronaut runs the student software aboard the ISS. ZR had a pilot event in 2009 with 10 High School (HS) students, a nationwide pilot tournament in 2010 with over 200 HS students from 19 US states, a summer tournament in 2010 with 150 middle school students and an open-registration tournament in 2011 with over 1000 HS students from USA and Europe. The influence of collaboration was investigated by (1) building new web infrastructure and an Integrated Development Environment where intensive inter-participant collaboration is possible, (2) designing and programming a game to solve a relevant formation flight problem, collaborative in nature—and (3) structuring a tournament such that inter-team collaboration is mandated. This paper introduces the ZR web tools, assesses the educational value delivered by the program using space and games and evaluates the utility of collaborative gaming within this framework. There were three types of collaborations as variables—within matches (to achieve game objectives), inter-team alliances and unstructured communication on online forums. Simulation competition scores, website usage statistics and post-competition surveys are used to evaluate educational impact and the effect of collaboration. & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Collaborative Competition for Crowdsourcing Spaceflight Software and STEM Education using SPHERES Zero Robotics
Crowdsourcing is being researched as a technique to develop small-scale spaceflight software by issuing open calls for solutions to large crowds of people with the incentive of prizes. There is widespread investment of resources in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education to improve STEM interests and skills. This thesis tackles the dual objectives of buildin...
متن کاملMassive Project Based Learning through a Competition
Embedded systems and robotics are interdisciplinary and have a wide range of applications, making them ideal subjects for sparking innovation and creative thinking in engineering students. One way to teach these subjects to students across the country is through distance education. However, as hands-on experiments are a major part of such courses to be effective, and since most colleges lack ro...
متن کاملIntegrating Education and Real Research
Popular media has spawned a recent interest in teaching robotics in the classroom. Many different approaches have been attempted, with many that focus on robot competitions. However, following the competition, students often do not know where to turn to keep their curiosity in robotics alive. This paper discusses a collaborative approach that shows students a clear path from early robot competi...
متن کاملCreep Stress Redistribution Analysis of Thick-Walled FGM Spheres
Time-dependent creep stress redistribution analysis of thick-walled FGM spheres subjected to an internal pressure and a uniform temperature field is investigated. The material creep and mechanical properties through the radial graded direction are assumed to obey the simple power-law variation throughout the thickness. Total strains are assumed to be the sum of elastic, thermal and creep strain...
متن کاملGame Development in a Larger Context
Games that teach, serious games, have been proposed, among other reasons, to address the growing gap between supply and demand in STEM discipline graduates and to tap into student engagement. We will review briefly the trends and compelling numbers supporting the need to close the gap and proceed with the arguments for how serious games might meet such a challenge. To develop a serious game age...
متن کامل