Cue the Conferences: FableVision’s 2023 Guide

Lunches with partners, new meet and greets, enlightening sessions, presentation opportunities, and exciting cities – what’s not to love about conferences? Check out where we’re headed to learn from industry professionals, share our insights, and most importantly, see you.

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MuseumNext Digital Learning Summit

During the virtual conference, learn how museums can keep up with evolving technology to create engaging and immersive experiences for visitors. Keep an eye out for Kellian Adams Pletcher, our Director of G.L.A.M. (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) Innovation.

When: Monday, June 19 – Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Where: Online

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ISTELive 23

Visit our friends from FableVision Learning at their tables at the Keystones Technology Innovators in PA session on Wednesday, June 28 from 9–11 a.m. and STEM Playground — Tools for Physical Computing and Making from 12–2 p.m. in the ISTE Explore and Create Playground. Paul Reynolds, Andrea Calvin, and Mary Johnston will provide hands-on demonstrations of FabMaker Studio and Animation-ish. Learn more here.

When: Sunday, June 25 – Wednesday, June 28
Where: Philadelphia

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Games for Change Festival

Celebrate Games for Change’s (G4C) 20th anniversary with a summer festival full of events analyzing the past, present, and future of gaming and XR.

FableVision’s VP of audiyo-yo Anne Richards will present a project brief on Nunaka!: Games for Indigenous Cultural Heritage Preservation on Wednesday, July 19 at 5 p.m.

Producer Jonah Gaynor will present a project brief on Wilson Center’s Plastic Pipeline right after Anne on Wednesday, July 19 at 5:20 p.m. Both presentations will be at the Microsoft Winter Garden.

President Gary Goldberger and Communications Strategist Nadya Karpova will also be attending. We hope to see you at both project briefs! The schedule and more details can be found here.

When: Tuesday, July 18 – Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Where: New York City

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Podcast Movement

At the world’s largest podcast conference, passionate podcasters and industry professionals gather to learn from each other and improve the audio community. Anne Richards and Gary Goldberger will surely tune in — don’t forget to say hello.

When: Monday, August 21 – Thursday, August 24, 2023
Where: Denver

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Ed Games Expo 2023

The  Ed Games Expo is a public showcase of game-changing #edtech innovations developed through programs at IES, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and across government. We’ve got a few great things lined up for Wednesday, September 20 at Kennedy Center REACH:

• Between 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., catch FableVision Studios’ Paul Reynolds, Snow Dong, and Nadya Karpova, along with FableVision Learning’s Andrea Calvin and Mary Johnston in Skylight Pavilion at tables S-7 and S-8. We’ll be doing live demos of Civics! An American Musical and Nunaka.

• At 1:30 p.m., Snow will lead a Master Class on Civics! at MoonShot Studio. If you’d like to attend, please register here.

• Between 5:30-8:30 p.m., find us in PT-109 at tables P-3 and P4 for the Ed Games Expo for the Public.

Click here to view the Ed Games Expo agenda.

When: Tuesday, September 19 — Friday, September 22
Where: Washington, D.C.

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Serious Play Conference

Time for some serious fun in Toronto, while learning about creating and using games and simulations for educational purposes and how to move those programs ahead. Make sure to attend Executive Producer Peter Stidwill’s session on Wednesday, October 11 from 2-2:45 p.m. on Five Tips for Researchers Who Want to Make Educational Games. See the full conference program here.

When: Wednesday, October 11 – Friday, October 13, 2023
Where: Toronto

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Hands On! Conference

Hosted by the Children’s Museum Creaviva in Bern, Switzerland, Europe’s largest conference on science education and children in museums will experiment with exhibitions, themes, and learning opportunities. And who’s keynoting? You guessed it — Kellian. More information coming soon — you don’t want to miss this one.

When: Wednesday, October 25 – Friday, October 27, 2023
Where: Bern, Switzerland

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MCN Annual Conference

For MCN 2023, the Penn Museum in Philadelphia will gather over 600 cultural heritage professionals from museums, historic sites, and visitor attractions to advance digital transformations in museums. Kellian and Gary can’t wait to see you there.

When: Wednesday, November 8 – Friday, November 10, 2023
Where: Philadelphia

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This year, Gary, Anne, VP of Moonladder Tone Thyne, and VP of Development Rachel Reade Marcus attended the Kidscreen Summit in Miami. At BostonFIG Online Expo, Kellian presented tips for researchers and developers working together when creating games. We were thrilled to catch up with you at those conferences, and we look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones in the upcoming months.

FableVision’s Summer 2022 Roadmap

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? The beginning of conference season! From museum meetings to gamer gatherings, FableVision is attending a variety of conferences to share our work, meet new people, and learn from other professionals in the industry. 

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American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo

FableVision is heading across town to the American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo! This year’s conference focuses on four themes –  Museums in Society, Organizational Culture, Innovation, and Financial Wellness. Keep an eye out for FableVision’s Kellian Adams Pletcher, Director of G.L.A.M. Innovation.

When: Thursday, May 19 - Saturday, May 22
Where: Boston, MA

Join FableVision and Kellian the night before for a few drinks and bites to socialize, while enjoying the Boston skyline!

What: FableVision’s AAM Reception
Where: FableVision Studios, 353 Newbury St., Fl. 2
When: Wednesday, May 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
RSVP: Required with proof of vaccination

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Serious Play Conference

FableVision is joining some serious fun at this year’s Serious Play Conference to discuss case studies, explore game-based learning topics, and connect with other thought leaders in the educational game-play industry. From active workshops to tracking the evolution of serious gaming, this conference provides opportunities to learn, collaborate, and plan for a productive future for the game-based learning community. 

When: Monday, June 13 - Friday, June 17
Where: Orlando, FL

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Games For Change

Catch Gary Goldberger, Kellian Adams Pletcher, and Anne Richards at this year’s Games For Change Festival (G4C). The annual conference festival allows educators, developers, and game changers to connect and discuss the impacts of video games and immersive media. 

Vice President of FableVision’s audio division, audiyo-yo, and creator of the award-winning preschool podcast Quentin & Alfie’s ABC Adventures, Anne is sharing her expertise on designing audio experiences that meet the needs of families and educators virtually on Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. ET. 

When: Wednesday, July 13 - Saturday, July 16
Where: New York City

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Kidscreen 

Gary Goldberger, Tone Thyne, and Anne Richards are in for a weekend of creativity, networking, and media dialogue at the annual Kidscreen Summit (KSS)! Kidscreen focuses on the kids entertainment industry and caters to decision makers and executives throughout the field. The July summit provides an opportunity to connect with other producers, creatives, distributors, and industry leaders, while also getting the chance to forge new connections. 

When: Monday, July 18 - Thursday, July 21
Where: Miami, FL

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Connected Learning Summit 

The 2022 virtual Connected Learning Summit brings innovators together to harness the power of emerging technology for expanding access to participatory, playful, and creative learning. Join Sarah Ditkoff, Gary Goldberger, and other speakers on Friday, July 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET for a roundtable presentation on "The Lifecycle of Partnerships in Games for Learning." Register here to access the full event.

When: Wednesday, July 27 - Friday, July 29
Where: Virtual - Whova event platform

Catch FableVision's 2021 Summer Tour!

Summer is almost here, and we’re just getting warmed up for all of the exciting events we have on the horizon. You’re all invited to make a splash with us at a number of virtual conferences and events throughout the season. Don’t miss out on the fun—keep reading for more details on how to catch us along our virtual summer road trip!

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BostonFIG Talks and Learns (May 29 - 30)

BostonFIG Talks and Learns are back, and we’re gearing up for two days of sharing, learning, and networking! FableVision is proud to sponsor this year’s conferences, featuring industry experts, educators, students, and more. Industry professionals and aspiring students or hobbyists are welcome to join us on May 29 for BostonFIG Talks, an annual game-creators conference that will include expert talks on game design, methodology, technology, and more. And come back the day after talks on hands-on learning games, academic research, classroom topics, and more at the annual Learns conference. Learns is perfect for educators, students, and professionals interested in the learning games space.

When: May 29, 30
Click here to register for free.

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ED Games Expo (June 1 - 5)

Next stop is the ED Games Expo! The expo is the Department of Education’s annual showcase of game-changing education technology. At this year’s conference, FableVision will showcase three of our learning games and tools. Join us at the expo to learn more about Cyberchase Fractions Quest, our award-winning fractions learning game based on the popular PBS KIDS show Cyberchase, Civics! An American Musical, our civics learning game that invites middle school students to produce their own hit musicals based on United States history, and FabMaker Studio, FableVision Learning’s digital fabrication software tool that inspires STEM and STEAM learning in the classroom! 

Check out the FableVision Learning website now to learn more about the products and how you can access all three for free through the month of June.

When: June 1-5
Click here to access the events.

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Tech + Social Studies LIVE! (June 5)

While you’re at the ED Games Expo, stop by the Tech + Social Studies LIVE! free virtual conference for innovative civics and social studies teaching resources and techniques. Whether you teach online, in person, or a hybrid, the demos and talks featured at this conference will show you new ways to engage your students. And join us later in the day to hear from FableVision communications director Sarah Ditkoff, Maryland Public Television director of PreK-12 learning design Karla Thompson, and educator Joshua Pleasant as they present on how you can use Civics! An American Musical to encourage creativity and primary source analysis in your classrooms.

Civic Action through Primary Sources in "Civics! An American Musical"
When: June 5 at 5:20 p.m. EST
Click here to register for free.

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Learning Ideas Conference (June 14 - 18)

Next, FableVision is headed to the Learning Ideas Conference to catch up on international innovations in learning and technology for the workplace and higher education. The Learning Ideas Conference brings together researchers and practitioners interested in using technology to improve education and workplace learning.

Join FableVision Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions Shelby Marshall for his workshop on June 16. This session will cover ways in which online simulations can support and extend learning in higher education and corporate training. In his talk, Shelby will explore examples at different levels of complexity that have been developed by the studio, including interactives created in partnership with the Smithsonian Science Education Center, Noodle Partners, and Pearson Higher Education. You won’t want to miss it!

Using Online Simulations to Explore Complex Topics and Apply Systems Thinking
When: June 16 at 4:30 p.m. EST
Click here to register.

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Carly & Adam’s Heart of STEM Teacher’s Summit (June 21 - 23)

FableVision Learning is excited to join the Carly & Adam’s Heart of STEM Teacher’s Summit on June 21-23. During this virtual event, attendees will explore connections between STEAM, real-world problems, kindness, and social-emotional learning. Learn from FableVision Learning’s Peter H. Reynolds, Paul Reynolds, Sara Smith, and Andrea Calvin.

Keynote: The Hope of STEM with Peter H. Reynolds, Georgie Badiel-Liberty, and Susan Verde
The creative team behind The Water Princess storybook will be kicking off the three-day summit with their Keynote: The Hope of STEM. With new troubling problems challenging the world every day, it’s important to empower the next generation with creative problem-solving skills and hope to make a positive impact across the globe. 

When: June 21

Exploring Creativity with Fabrication and Animation with Andrea Calvin
Andrea Calvin will share her experiences about working with students and educators across the country to implement fabrication and animation tools into their classrooms. Attendees will create bravely by using Animation-ish and FabMaker Studio.

When: June 21

Keynote: Create Bravely - Self Design for a Purposeful Life with Paul Reynolds
Paul Reynolds will share his insights on the power of storytelling and foster your life’s journey purpose with a growth mindset. Educators will learn how stories and creative tools can help students discover their talents and strengths, and how to apply them in life. With courage and perseverance, we can make a change by using our creativity.

When: June 22

The Element of Surprise with Sara Smith
In this session, Sara Smith will discuss the benefits of using the element of surprise in STEM and SEL. Educators will learn how the brain engages with surprises in learning and why surprises help humans during hard times. 

When: June 22

Click here to register.

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The Creativity Symposium 

FableVision Learning and Eduscape have partnered this summer to offer the Creativity Symposium, where educators across the country discover ways to foster creativity into their classrooms. During the three half-day sessions, in June or July, educators will use collaboration techniques to develop practical, achievable, and scalable solutions to challenges. 

When: June or July
Click here to register.

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Serious Play Conference (June 23 - 25)

If you’re serious about serious games, you’ll also want to join FableVision at this year’s Serious Play Conference. The conference features expert changemakers and thought leaders who are reshaping the educational gaming and education technology industries. Don’t forget to check out FableVision’s panel at the conference on accessibility and game-based learning. FableVision lead UX/UI designer Loren Lee-Flynn will join experts from WNET and Bridge Multimedia to discuss how we created Echo Explorers, a born-accessible learning game based on the award-winning PBS KIDS show Cyberchase and designed for children of all abilities to learn about echolocation and coordinate-mapping. The panelists will also share suggestions for game developers to incorporate accessibility into their own games.

Cyberchase Echo Explorers: Exploring Accessible Game Design for All Children
When: June 25 at 1:45 p.m. EST
Click here to register.

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Connected Learning Summit (July)

And if you’re unable to attend our panel at the Serious Play Conference in June, have no fear! You will still have the opportunity to learn more about Echo Explorers and designing games with accessibility at the forefront of the development process at the Connected Learning Summit. Be sure to catch our expert panel, as well as other influential talks from leaders and innovators at the intersection of innovation, education, technology, and play. The summit aims to support and empower innovators who are using emerging technology to increase access to creative and playful learning. It will feature engaging presentations and workshops all month long.

Cyberchase Echo Explorers: Exploring Accessible Game Design for All Children
Click here to register.

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ASU+GSV Summit (August 9 - 11)

Last stop on our tour is ASU+GSV—and this time it’s in person! The summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work, and their north star is that ALL people have equal access to the future. The Summit is a leading platform of innovation and ingenuity that offers a tangible look at the EdTech industry, with groundbreaking research and insights. FableVision’s Shelby Marshall is headed to San Diego to network with and learn from researchers, educators, and practitioners from around the globe. Make sure to connect with Shelby if you plan to attend as well.

Click here to register.

FableVision’s Cross-Country Tour

Summer is here, so you know what that means: sun, fun, and our annual Summer Road Trip! We’re excited to hit the road once again to visit conferences and summits across the country. We’re sure to meet amazing people and take part in the important conversations happening in education, media, and technology. Follow along with our travels on Twitter, and if you find yourself at any of our stops, come say hi!

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Back in the Bay Area

We’re heading off to sunny California from June 10-12 to hear from some of the brightest minds in educational technology at the SIIA Conference. With keynote panels focusing on diversity and inclusivity in educational services, this conference is sure to be a deep dive into the future of edtech in the United States as well as internationally! Catch our colleagues from the Reynolds Center from Teaching, Learning, and Creativity in the Cisco booth presenting the FabMaker Studio STEAM program to create practical, affordable makerspaces using paper, cardstock, and inexpensive digital fabricators (details TBA!).

Building Your Internal Capacity Without Hiring: Working with Service Providers
What: Panel of experienced providers in conversation about company growth and making the most of your workforce. Featuring FableVision Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions Shelby Marshall.
When: June 12, 2019 at 10:15 a.m.

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Taking a Byte of the Big Apple!

Next up: New York! Join FableVision’s Communications Director Sarah Ditkoff, Executive Producer Peter Stidwill, and President and Co-founder Gary Goldberger at the Games for Change Festival, where attendees will hear from designers, developers, and others who are making games for social good. Along with Learning Games Network’s Shannon Frederick Meneses, Peter will speak about FableVision’s game, Quandary, which was awarded Game of the Year at the 2013 Games for Change Festival. We’re looking forward to convening with people leading meaningful changes in gaming through immersive media and applied principles in civics and game-based learning.

Life After “Game of the Year”: Sharing Six Years of Learning
When: June 18, 2019 at 11:45 a.m.
Where: Parsons School of Design at The New School, 63 Fifth Ave, NYC

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Exciting Edtech in Philadelphia

Join FableVision’s Sarah Ditkoff and Shelby Marshall in Philadelphia for the International Society for Technology in Education Conference. This conference highlights visual, cultural, and digital literacy. We can’t wait to meet teachers, business leaders, and others spearheading the movement for inclusive, accessible education technology (and perhaps pick up a tasty cheesesteak in the meantime)!

When: June 23-26, 2019
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FabMaker Crew: Paper Prototyping for STEAM-powered learning

FableVision’s Paul Reynolds and Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity’s Andrea Calvin will showcase FableVision’s Fab@School Maker Studio at two workshops hosted in the CISCO Active Learning Space. Discover how schools, libraries, and programs around the country have used the FabMaker Studio STEAM program to create practical, affordable makerspaces using paper, cardstock, and inexpensive digital fabricators. During this hands-on session participants will experience the benefits of rapid paper prototyping, which allows for quick cycles of testing and iterative design enhancements.

When: June 24 from 3-3:45 p.m., June 25 from 11-11:45 a.m.
Where: Breakout Room 106AB

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Making Moves in Maine!

Ever wondered about how animation can revolutionize learning? Join FableVision’s Jane Reynolds and Dr. Denine Jimmerson at the Side x Side Summer Arts Institute in Portland, where they will explore just that! Take part in a comprehensive workshop focused on introducing important animation techniques and starting a conversation about using animation as a platform for every lesson imaginable.

What: “Using Animation as an Innovative Tool for Teaching and Learning” Workshop
When: June 24-25, 2019
Where: Portland, Maine

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Seriously Smiling in Montreal

We’re heading to the University of Quebec for the 2019 Serious Play Montreal Conference, highlighting the biggest achievements in serious games. We’re so excited to hear from developers, designers, and more who are leading the way in educational gaming and immersive learning. FableVision and our partners are accepting two Serious Play Awards for our games Lights, Camera, Budget! and Project Here Games. 

Silver Award Winner: Lights, Camera, Budget!, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) and the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE)
Lights, Camera, Budget! puts high school students in the shoes of a Hollywood movie producer in order to enhance their knowledge about personal finance, money management, and budgeting. In partnership with GPB and GCEE, FableVision created this game to reflect real life lessons in economics and help to increase students’ financial literacy.

Bronze Award Winner: Project Here Games, The Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, Health Resources in Action, and the GE Foundation
Project Here Games is part of a state-wide initiative to promote substance use prevention and healthy decision making among middle school students. Working with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office and Health Resources in Action, FableVision created this series of games that provide an interactive landscape in which students can develop socioemotional skills to handle situations involving substances and peer pressure, as well as stress management.

When: July 10-12, 2019
Where: University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada

“Zoombinis” Connected Learning Summer Spotlight with EdGE at TERC Director Jodi Asbell-Clarke and TERC Chief Technology Officer David Libby

In just a few weeks, a who’s who of edtech professionals and industry thought leaders will gather at the MIT Media Lab on August 1-3 for the first-ever Connected Learning Summit (CLS). The Summit’s tagline of “Create. Play. Mobilize.” elicits a call to action that commands and underscores the importance of educational media. FableVision and our partners at TERC are proud sponsors of this inaugural CLS, and I’m looking forward to moderating the Zoombinis panel on August 1. During this event, key personnel will share the story of how they reimagined the beloved educational game, and they’ll also share an update on their game-based research.

The original Zoombinis was released in 1996 and quickly became the golden standard among fans of educational games. Then in 2015, FableVision, Learning Games Network, TERC, and EdGE at TERC worked closely with creator Scot Osterweil to reimagine and remaster the original game for modern devices and audiences. Two additional key members of that development team were Dr. Jodi Asbell-Clarke and David Libby. As the director and co-founder of Educational Gaming Environment (EdGE) at TERC, Jodi has spent 20 years designing and researching curriculum and professional development. David is TERC’s Chief Technology Officer and served as overall project manager for the revamped Zoombinis. We sat down with Jodi and David for a special sneak peek of what we’ll be discussing at the Connected Learning Summit.

Read on for a short preview of our CLS panel. We can’t wait to answer your questions and reintroduce you to our favorite blue friends as they help us bridge formal and informal learning – and change the world of education for the better.

The Logical Journey of Reimagining Zoombinis: Adventure, Research, and Computational Thinking
Wednesday, August 1 at 2:30 p.m.

• Jodi Asbell-Clarke, Director, EdGE at TERC
• David Libby, Chief Technology Officer, TERC
• Scot Osterweil, Creative Director, MIT Education Arcade and Zoombinis creator
• Peter Stidwill, Executive Producer at FableVision Studios

Will you be there? Tweet us at @FVStudioBoston with #CLS2018.

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David, Jodi, tell us more about your respective roles. What is the focus of EdGE’s research, and how does it fit into TERC’s overall mission?
Jodi: EdGE is the Educational Gaming Environments group at TERC. As part of TERC’s mission to reach a broad and diverse audience of learners with innovative STEM learning opportunities, EdGE examines how digital games can be used as assessments to measure learning that might not be revealed by ordinary tests and schoolwork.

STEM education is all the rage now, but TERC has been focusing on math and science learning since the early 1970s! What makes the math/science education space so exciting to be working in these days? 
Jodi: Some things have changed dramatically in the past few decades, and some things feel like they haven’t changed at all. What is exciting about right now is that people are realizing, on a large scale, that learning is not just what happens in the classroom and it isn’t all about direct instruction. Project-based learning, game-based learning, and other forms of interest-driven learning experiences no longer seem so marginalized, or fringe. I believe that providing these experiences is the only way to ensure inclusivity for learners who have cognitive differences, such as executive function disorders. I have seen so much talent within kids who have cognitive differences; we have to find good ways to tap into their strengths as opposed to remediating  their weaknesses. Computational Thinking (CT) is such a rich arena for this pursuit. Many diverse learners seem well-inclined to CT practices, so we are trying to leverage that in our Zoombinis research.

FableVision had a blast partnering with TERC (along with the Learning Games Network) to remaster Zoombinis in 2015. Why did TERC decide to revisit this classic game from 1996?
David: TERC’s focus is on improving STEM education for all. We’ve produced a variety of content over the years, but Zoombinis was always special to us and remains one of our most successful projects in terms of the number of kids (and adults) reached. We heard from multiple original Zoombinis fans from the ‘90s that Zoombinis is what led them to pursue careers in computer science and other STEM fields! The love for the game was incredible. However, the original version was not being updated for current operating systems and popular devices like the iPad and Android tablets; some teachers were even keeping old Macs and PCs in the back of their classrooms just to play Zoombinis. After some discussion, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt was kind enough to return the rights to us, and with funding from our Board and with the help of a Kickstarter, we and our partners were thrilled to relaunch Zoombinis for a new generation!

David, you were the project lead for the Zoombinis remaster. What was it like overseeing such a large, multifaceted production with multiple partners?
It was challenging, fun, and a great learning experience. FableVision, Learning Games Network, The Game Agency, and Tinsley PR were such a pleasure to work with, and everyone had such appreciation and love for the game that really shows in the final product. I have to include the fans as one of our partners too, especially our fan advisory board; their input and support was invaluable in shaping the new version, and they really helped us stay true to the original model while also adapting to today’s gaming environment. The vision for the game, the gameplay, the art, music (from the original), and build quality were key, but so was the marketing and press to make people aware that Zoombinis was back! The plush characters and pins we made as part of the Kickstarter rewards were a huge staff favorite…nothing like having several hundred plush Zoombinis sitting in your office.

Scot's original Zoombinis character sketch.

What was it like working with Scot Osterweil, creator of Zoombinis, on the reboot?
David: Scot is always an inspiration to work with. I still remember an observation he and co-Zoombinis creator Chris Hancock made on his game and good game design back in 1996: “In effect we found the ‘game in the math’ rather than putting math in a game.” In other words: don’t just add game features on top of educational content, but find the fun core to the learning itself. That’s an easy principle to state, but a hard one to follow! Scot was the “keeper of the game’s philosophy” during many of our discussions and exemplified through the game’s restrictions;   you can’t always get a perfect score (i.e. get all 16 Zoombinis past a particular challenge) because you have to try out different approaches to gain the information to proceed. It’s just as the game’s narrator says: “Yes, some Zoombinis were lost, but the knowledge was gained.” That’s the way scientific exploration and data gathering works in the real world – you have to try different things and fail before you understand. Scot held us true to that, and  also added a few little tweaks to make some of the challenges a little harder! The fourth level of Fleens, for instance, has a new twist…

Jodi, you recently finished overseeing a three-year research study of how Zoombinis can improve students’ computational thinking skills. What are some of your major takeaways from this study?
We studied nearly 50 classrooms who used Zoombinis along with a set of Bridge materials we designed to help teachers bridge the game-based learning to CT in the classroom. For each class we collected:

• Data logs of learners’ gameplay (a digital log of all their activity in the game)
• External pre/post assessments of learners’ CT (Problem Decomposition, Pattern Recognition, Abstraction, and Algorithm Design)
• Teacher ratings of each learners’ CT practices
• Information from teachers about their CT instructional activities
• Artifacts from coding activities (when possible)

We are currently conducting human labeling of extensive samples of gameplay observations to identify common patterns of gameplay that are consistent with CT. This lays the groundwork for defining the features we need to build automated detectors of CT learning within gameplay logs. We already have great inter-rater reliability on the human-labeling for two Zoombinis puzzles (“Pizza Pass” and “Mudball Wall”) and we are working on two more (“Allergic Cliffs” and “Bubble Wonder”).

We are also continuing to build the automated detectors that will measure CT automatically in Zoombinis, and are excited by the prospect that we might measure CT in learners who may not exhibit strong skills in other forms of assessments. Many Zoombinis teachers reported that students who typically struggle academically were becoming leaders in Zoombinis activities, and whom others went to for support. This game has the potential to change the dynamic of the classroom and the relationships among the learners in extraordinary  ways; we hope to provide this information to teachers in real-time, while their students are playing the game. By revealing  when a student is excelling or struggling, a Zoombinis puzzle will help educators connect that individual student’s  learning to CT in other aspects of life and school.

We’re excited to join you at the Connected Learning Summit featuring our Zoombinis team to talk about the development process and hear about the research component of the project. What we can expect from this session?
Jodi: We are excited to tell the logical journey of how Zoombinis not only made a comeback from hibernation as an edutainment game, but how it is actively changing how we think about learning today. The re-release of Zoombinis hit just when CT was taking education by storm, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to study how it all happens.