Abstract
AquaMOOSE 3D is a graphical environment designed to support the exploration of 3D
mathematical concepts. One of the underlying motivations for the AquaMOOSE project is to
leverage the entertainment value of video games to provide a learning environment that engages
students in more meaningful ways than are typically seen in the classroom. In this quasiexperimental
comparison class study at a suburban high school, we compared the AquaMOOSE
intervention to instruction using the traditional curriculum. Our results were disappointing, and
call into question our underlying assumptions. In this paper, we will describe factors that
contributed and discuss broader implications. Student expectations for the software were high due
to the production values seen in commercial video games. In addition, the 3D aspect of the
AquaMOOSE software introduced usability concerns and increased content complexity. We also
encountered many classic problems of research in the classroom that affected the outcome of the
study.
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