The MIT STEP Lab has developed a suite of mobile-device enabled activities called pSims, short for participatory simulations. These pSims leverage mobile devices (e.g., smartphones) to enable participants to engage in active, inquiry-based learning through their interactions with the simulation, and coordination and discussion with one another.
Active Projects
The Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade explore the playful side of the learning process. Our research-driven design results in games, tools, and curricula that support playful, exploratory learning. These are our currently active projects
Project GUTS
Project GUTS — Growing Up Thinking Scientifically — is an integrated science and computer science program for middle school students serving schools and districts nationally and internationally. Growing up thinking scientifically means learning to look at the world and to ask questions, developing and using computer models that help answer questions through scientific inquiry, and using critical thinking to assess which models are reasonable and which are not. To grow up thinking scientifically means knowing science to be a computing-rich, dynamic, creative endeavor, a way of thinking, rather than a body of facts.
CLEVR: Collaborative Learning Environments in Virtual Reality
The Collaborative Learning Environments in Virtual Reality (CLEVR) project is to create immersive virtual reality learning experiences that can be used in today’s classrooms. CLEVR is a partnership between the Education Arcade and the MIT Game Lab, and is supported by Oculus. We are developing a collaborative educational game using immersive 3DVR to help teams of 9th grade students learn cell biology and the central dogma.
Taleblazer
TaleBlazer is a blocks-based software environment for creating and playing location-based augmented reality (AR) games.
Imagination Toolbox
Imagination Toolbox is a fun, creative PD workshop for educators to learn how to bring rich and engaging computational modeling and/or gaming experiences to their students using StarLogo Nova.
Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT)
For one week every summer, teachers from across the world gather on MIT’s campus to learn more about the groundbreaking research that is happening on campus. Teachers attend presentations and lectures presented by MIT professors and then reflect on their own curriculum and how they could utilize what they’ve learned back at their own schools.
