The EcoRaft ProjectBryant Hornick (Informatics), Professor Bill Tomlinson (Informatics)

IntroductionThe EcoRaft project is a novel application for informal education in the field of restoration ecology. The EcoRaft project explores the issue of transfer and learning within the realm of computer and video games. Though an evaluation plan was created to determine the efficacy of the EcoRaft project as an educational tool, technical setbacks forced a delay and the evaluations were unable to be executed. Informal demonstrations did elicit positive reviews from participants, and further research and development is necessary to form any definitive conclusions on the success of the project.

bhornick@uci.edu · orchid.calit2.uci.edu/EcoRaft · www.research.calit2.net/students/surf-it2006 · www.calit2.net

S ummer U ndergraduate 2 R esearch 0 F ellowship in 0 I nformation 6 T echnology

TransferTransfer describes the ability for individuals to take skills learned within one particular context and apply the same skills to similar problems in a different context. Achieving transfer across similar domains has proven to be a trivial task. For instance, having learned how to drive a sedan, most individuals would be able to transfer that knowledge effectively when driving a pickup truck for the first time. Similarly, a skilled Halo player will have an easier time playing Unreal Tournament for the first time compared to an individual who has never played a first-person shooter before. Achieving transfer across completely different domains, however, has proven to be a much greater challenge, particularly in the realm of computer and video games. Research conducted by Thorndike and Woodworth in the early 1900’s suggested that the brain is a machine capable of making specific reactions to specific situations, and improvements within a single mental function will rarely cause equal improvements in any other functions regardless of how similar the functions may be. Games are further hindered by the difficulty of designing engaging gameplay that lends itself to the creation of a generalized skill set and by the social stigma that surrounds gaming and real world delinquency.

EcoRaft ProjectThe EcoRaft project addresses the issue of using games to support learning through an innovative application in restoration ecology. The EcoRaft project is an interactive educational simulation intended to teach children between the ages of eight and twelve about ecological restoration principles and processes. This project combines computer animation, embodied interactions, and innovative gameplay to give participants a basic foundation in restoration ecology.

EvaluationThe EcoRaft Project was designed with five ecological restoration principles in mind. First, the act of destroying an ecosystem is easy. Second, restoring a destroyed ecosystem is difficult, but worth the effort. Third, there is a scientific process that must be undertaken to restore a devastated ecosystem. Fourth, it is

Results

Conclusions

The execution of the evaluation plan depended on the successful implementation of the project’s core framework and the Channel Islands prototype. During the implementation process, there were several technological setbacks that forced a delay of the evaluations. The limitations of Flash and Actionscript became apparent after several weeks of development, at which point the project switched to a Flash and Java based system. Development of the core framework and the Channel Islands prototype is still underway.

Throughout development, however, several informal demonstrations were given showcasing work-in-progress versions of the system. Two large demos were given to members of Girls, Inc. and students at the Brea-Olinda High School Global IT Academy. The participants ranged in age from eight to thirteen. Several of the participants had previous exposure to the EcoRaft project and easily adapted to the new version. New participants were also quick to learn the rules and overcome the technological barrier. Many of the participants recognized the ecological elements within the project and enjoyed interacting with the exhibit. Of course, this is no substitute for a proper evaluation, which is on track to be executed this fall.

Without the results from the evaluation, it is difficult to form any concrete conclusions about the efficacy of the EcoRaft project as an educational tool. The informal demonstrations conducted over the summer showed promising results, yet further research and development is necessary to address the issue of transfer within gaming contexts.

AcknowledgementsThe Social Code Group gratefully acknowledges the support and contributions of UC Irvine, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, the ACE (Arts Computation Engineering) program, the Nicholas Foundation, and Calit2.

necessary for restoration ecologists to collaborate with others to successfully restore a devastated ecosystem. Finally, restoration requires a stable source of biodiversity. An evaluation plan was created involving a variety of qualitative techniques including non-interactive observation, participant observation, and semi-structured open-ended interviews to establish the project’s efficacy in conveying these five principles of restoration ecology to participants.

(Above) An ecosystem populated by grass, moose, mice, and wolves.

(Above) Target audience interacting with the project.