ENGAGE GBL Awards at Online Educa Berlin 2010

http://www.icwe.net

"Our jury has made their selection for the 2010 Awards! Submissions from 11 countries were rated according to the ENGAGE Best Practice and Inclusion criteria as well as the SIG-GLUE criteria for learning games. Rating was tight and we are grateful for all high-quality submissions!"

http://www.engagelearning.eu

The ENGAGE quality awards are divided into three categories: Best Practice (for specific documented cases), Learning Games Quality (for outstanding methodological, didactical and technical standards) and Game Inclusion (digital games and GBL practices which successfully raise self-confidence or increase motivation to learn as well as encourage participation in a community or in society).

The jury comprised game-based learning experts from industry and research as well as teachers with a professional background in using games for teaching and education.

The Nominees

http://www.engagelearning.eu

I'm honored to be a judge of the ENGAGE Awards 2010. I have been invited by Mr. Rolf Reinhardt and later by Ms. Anne-Christin Tannhäuser the Coordinator of the Jury.

As a teacher assessor specialized in Media Educational assessment by the University of Evora  (UÉ) and the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP/Biotechnology), I engaged myself through a careful work of analysis in all the areas of the projects' evaluation. 

Hours to verify the objectives,  testing the goals, checking the several aspects of the evaluation  process. It's a peculiar and rigorous process I'm used to from another awards. 

It is an expertise work that we engage themselves, unambiguous, with consistency, independence and extreme signifiance. 

http://www.icwe.net

Outstanding contributions by teachers, educational practioners, game developers and producers to the quality of game-based learning has been recognised under the ENGAGE project at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2010 this afternoon.

During an official, live-streamed ceremony, December 3rd, 2010, the European Network for Growing Activity in Game-based learning in Education (ENGAGE) has revealed the nominees for its quality awards. An inspiring panel discussion with leading experts on game-based learning will preceed.

I could follow the cerimony on-line live stream at 4:30PM (CET time).

Winners have been invited to the award ceremony at Online EDUCA Berlin, 3rd December 2010. 


Educators received the 3D engine and authoring tool “Thinking Worlds™” which enables them to create serious, casual, social and advergames


Game producers their games free EFQUEL membership and the SIG-GLUE stamp

During the official and life-streamed award ceremony has beeen held to acknowledge the contribution of the winners to high qual­ity in game-based learning and presented for each award category.

http://www.engagelearning.eu

The ENGAGE project aims to further promote the use of GBL in education. It has been funded with support from the European Union.

You can read all about the nominees here

Me Tycoon, was a nominee project at "Best Learning Game" category! It's a Social Serious Game-based approach to encouraging students to explore and develop their own life, where their decisions directly affect their prosperity, achievements and happiness.

Young people do not often have the resources, help or opportunities to think about careers, find out about different types of jobs that they may not have previously considered, get to grips with transferable skills, or discover the changing nature of the jobs market and the potential areas of future growth."


In my opinion, it's a good tool for the target group, students between 13-15 years, the age they must choose an area to do further studies. It helps them to think about a future career.  

screenshot MeTycoon

http://3.bp.blogspot.com

The different choices of the game, advances and retraits, the 'real' testimonials (careers) inserted in the game, all that is very important to help young people's choices! They are encouraged to make their own choices in a 'virtual world' that enable them to learn how to avoid future mistakes in 'real life', several years later.

At the same time, the game prepares them to change the professional area, so common in modern societies due to the unemployment crisis. It helps kids to become better citizens, to feel prosper, happier and achiever.

Computer games are beginning to break out from their console and entertainment world, and finding more constructive applications in the world of education. 


Games based learning are attracting new developers and producers to create good practice games.

Using video games and games based learning (GBL) to supplement and inspire in-classroom education is more and more used for pilot teachers who try out new school models. 

Pilot teachers are finding ways to use video games and GBL to enrich and inspire interest by students in core curriculum topics.

And producers are really investing more and more on games based learning creation because the future is now.

"Will we realize the potential that DGBL has to revolutionize how students learn? This has much less to do with attitude and learner preferences than it does with a technology that supports some of the most effective learning principles identified during the last hundred years. If we learn from  our past, and if we focus on the strengths of the medium and provide the support and infrastructure needed to implement DGBL, we may well be present for a true revolution."



Richard Van Eck, 
EDUCAUSE Review, 2006

The ENGAGE Awards organisation didn't invite the members of the Jury to participate in this cermony, as other organisations do.

Last week, I was in Brussels to participate, as a member of the jury, at another awards cerimony. And it has been very attractive to know the winners, debate with them their work during their presentation, feel their expectations and joy. And of course, a pleasure to applaud the winners.

I know most of the members of the ENGAGE Awards jury could not accept the invitation for several reasons (work, distance). 


For me, it would be impossible to be present! 

But... it would be a nice and kind thought from the organisation of ENGAGE Awards! For sure!

Congratulations to all the winners! Students, teachers and producers proove that creativity has no barriers!

G-Souto (member of the jury)

03.12.10

Copyright © 2010G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

References:

ONLINE EDUCA Presents ENGAGE Game-based Learning Awards

http://www.icwe.net

The ENGAGE Quality Awards

http://www.engagelearning.eu

ENGAGE Quality Awards - Nominations

http://www.engagelearning.eu

Me Tycoon

http://metycoon.org/

Richard Van Eck, EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 2 (March/April 2006)

http://www.educause.edu

William Campbell Really is Dead?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1683472/

I had a watch of this movie in the hopes of learning all the information concerning the conspiracy clues. I have a sick love for them  I was very disappointed to find that the producers hadn’t really attempted to do their homework first.  At all.  You can get a more accurate version of the conspiracy from a simple Google search. The whole movie was clearly written and produced by people who haven’t got a clue about The Beatles history or time-line.  A great bunch of drama and scary theorizations, but ultimately hokum.

Everything was based on American record releases, ignoring facts that some songs were actually written before the alleged date of the alleged fatal accident. But the real give-away was when fake George, who I shall refer to as Feorge, tells us that Rita the Hitch-hiker who caused Paul to crash his car was given a new identity and a big payout to remain quiet, only to turn up years later as Heather Mills. The reason Heather had lost her leg was because the powers that be, in an attempt to keep her quiet, tried to have her killed by running her over in traffic, apparently by the same powers that be that organised John Lennon’s assassination. But what Feorge fails to mention is that Rita accidentally caused Paul’s death, a good two years before Heather Mills was even born.

Oops.

Towards the end of the film there were some very obviously photo-shopped images of Faul with a very enlarged nose and buck teeth, and some video footage of Harrison being interviewed on Australian television, clearly saying Faul (Fake Paul) instead of Paul. YouTube has the unedited version of this interview and in real life Harrison has a most distinctively pronounced P for every mention of Paul’s name. There... I have just officailly done a better fact-checking job than the God damned director.
Had this been a documentary on the hoax, and one that stuck to the theory as it had stood, this would have been an enjoyable discussion of the conspiracy theories. Marketed as Harrison’s last testament, and very badly narrated by someone who was so obviously reading a script, it’s not even a good hoax in its own right.
 
Of course it is partially true….Paul has been musically dead for decades.

Confirmed: Savage Opress Clone Wars Screening will show 3 full episodes

Katie Lucas, one of the writers on the Clone Wars series and daughter of Star Wars creator George Lucas, was kind enough to confirm via Twitter that the Special Theatrical Screening of Star Wars: The Clone Wars featuring Savage Opress will be airing three full episodes of the Savage Opress story arch.

The screenings which will take place in select cities across the country are already sold out, but if you have tickets this is great news and just another reason to try to attend.  

If the previews are any indication these episodes are going to be some of the best of the series.  For Republic Commando fans don't forget, we should also be seeing Delta Squad, who appeared in the Republic Commando video game as well as the series of novels written by Karen Traviss. 

TWITTER TIMELINE EXCERPT:

@KRLgrrl Katie Lucas

LA TWEEPS: I will be at the LA premiere, say hi if you spot me! would love to give you all high fives!

Pete_Morrison Peter Morrison

@

@KRLgrrl Hope to see u in LA. Can u tell us how many episodes they are showing at the premier?

1 hour ago

@KRLgrrl Katie Lucas

@Pete_Morrison all three!

Spoiler Free Review: Fate of the Jedi Vortex

Troy Denning's latest addition to the FotJ series, entitled Vortex, is a fast paced slug fest that carries on the major story lines of the previous novels and turns a couple of the story lines on their head.

Sub-plot 1: Luke/Ben/Vestara/Lost Tribe/Abeloth: 

Troy Denning has done a superb job capturing the love and good humor that exists between the two Skywalkers.  A absolutely loved the sense of humor that Luke showed in this novel in particular and the series in general.  The death of Mara and fear for his son made the portrayal of Luke in the Legacy of the Force series darker and more serious.  This series presenting him in a different light is a breath of fresh air.

The character of Vestara introduces an interesting dynamic into the mix.  She is Sith, cannot be trusted, yet as a reader there is still something likable about the character.  The dramatic tension of her redemption or rejection of the light, is something that has been well played so far.  It echos the Skywalker's habit of redeeming those who fall to the Darkside, and the outcome is not pre-determined.  This is a nice bit of mystery that I would assume they keep playing with until the final book in the series.

The alliance with the Sith and the investigation of the entity known as Abeloth, make some interesting debate among fans.  Would Luke Skywalker who has just lost his wife to his Sith Lord nephew be so pragmatic that he allies with Sith?  This storyline has to be played carefully or it becomes a little too unbelievable that Luke would keep working with the Sith when they don't seem to be contributing much.

Abeloth will be discussed more in my review that includes spoilers, this is a weird character, and I am not sure how I feel about her.

Sub-plot 2: Daala vs. Jedi:

Finally we have a little movement in the Daala/Jedi standoff.  I think Denning does a very nice job with Corran Horn in this novel, with one of his pet characters Saba Sebatyne, and at least in the first half of the novel with Acting Grand Master Kenth Hamner.

Hamner is a man caught between two worlds, as a military officer in the New Republic and a Jedi he feels a sense of duty to both the GA and the Jedi.  This characterization fits well with how the character has been portrayed since the NJO.  However, towards the end of the book, Hamner takes some actions that raise some really interesting questions and leave me a little confused.

Sub-plot 3: Slavery:

The sub-plot of slavery was added to the series after it was originally conceived to add some more body and depth to the story telling.  The introduction of Perre Needmo the news anchor and his roving reporter Madhi Vaandt, were interesting enough tangents.  But leaves the bigger question of what exactly is causing all of these simultaneous slave uprisings.  Who is behind it? and Who is behind "Freedom Flight?"

Sub-plot 4: Tahiri's Trial:

I absolutely loved the Tahiri storyline in the last novel.  In this one, it was good, but left me a little confused as to what exactly is going on with Tahiri and her lawyer Eramuth Bwuat'u.  It certainly appears based on the cover of the next novel Conviction, that Tahiri will take center stage in the next book.  This story line didn't seem to advance greatly in this novel, and felt like it was just there to remind you what was going on and set it up for her taking a big role in the next book. 

Conclusions:

Overall, this is a very strong novel, which reshuffles the decks, foreshadows some of what is to come, but leaves the mystery of Abeloth largely intact.  The only real criticism I have is that it was basically told dirt side the entire time.  Except for the first chapter there was very little action in space.  There was some atmospheric vehicular action, but most of the story was characters interacting face to face as opposed to through a transparisteel canopy. 

I give it 8.5 out of 10 Lightsabers.

SAVAGE OPRESS COUNTDOWN: Monday Dec. 6th LA Premier

In advance of the 11 city theatrical Premier of Savage Opress, the official site has released a one-sheet poster that will be given away in limited quantities at the premier.  

The poster is interesting.  In the background we have dwellings that look to be set in the mountains.  Could we be seeing the Singing Mountain Clan's home on Dathomir? Or are we seeing the home of Savage Opress before he is taken/found by the Nightsisters and "forged."  The background certainly doesn't fit with the background in the preview video that can be seen below.  Is the whole "Darth Maul's brother," thing a giant curve ball?  I tend to think not.  My guess is that Savage Opress is younger and undersized when he is found by the Nightsisters and the forging turns him into the oversized Zabrak warrior that we see in the previews and promotional materials.


In other news Big Shiny Robot has posted a preview clip from the upcoming Savage Opress episode.  The clip features Asajj Ventress and the Nightsisters of Dathomir.



I'll be in LA Monday waiting in line with my ticket and hopefully getting into the screening.  If I do get in, I will have a review posted Tuesday night.

Savage Opress is going to be awesome.

Edit:  Also the new cover of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine, appears to depict Asajj Ventress in new nightsister character model.  (Second from the Left)

First Impressions: Fate of the Jedi: Vortex (Spoiler Free)

Finished Vortex late last night and I will have two full reviews, one spoiler free and one spoiler heavy posted, hopefully tomorrow night.  But until then a couple quick thoughts.

• Denning nailed the 3 major fight scenes in this novel.  They were graphic in terms of the physical violence, so I would be concerned about too young of kids reading some of it, but for adults and most kids it was great.  The fight scenes were also spread out enough that it made for good pacing of the novel.  

• I have no idea where they are going with the Abeloth storyline, what kind of entity it is, and whether or not there is any connection to the Keshiri legend of the Destructors, but I have a feeling there is.  

• Luke Skywalker was funny in this book.  I enjoy the less serious Luke we have gotten in this series with his interactions with his son.

• The Ben and Vestara relationship gets more complicated and interesting.

• Wyn Dorvan's characterization seemed weird, it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the series.  

• There was more then one cliff hanger moment, when you thought Denning was about to kill of a beloved character, nice way to keep the reader on their toes.  

• For a series that has at some points felt like it was spinning its wheels, it feels like this novel really advanced some of the plot points and had a lot of good action in it.

• Did anyone else catch the tongue in cheek reference to the canceled novel  Blood Oath

New Short Story by Paul S. Kemp announced...

@Paulskemp Paul S. Kemp

Turned in a draft of a shorty short story to appear in Star Wars Insider. It stars Darth Malgus and is set before the events of DECEIVED.

Darth Malgus from the cover of Deceived:

Star Wars.com's First Look at Deceived:

Hot on the heels of the unveiling of the cover to Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance is this first look at another hardcover set in the time of the eagerly anticipated video game in development by LucasArts and BioWare. In Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived, readers will learn more about Darth Malgus, the Sith Lord who brought down the Jedi Temple. Star Wars fans first experienced the devastating might of Darth Malgus in last year's epic cinematic trailer to Star Wars: The Old Republic which depicted the Sacking of Coruscant. Readers will learn more about the man behind the mask in this novel by author Paul S. Kemp.
Deceived tells the story of Darth Malgus and gives fascinating insight into his rise to fame and glory as the Sith Lord who destroyed the Jedi Temple. This stunning narrative finds the dark hero battling a veteran Jedi Master, setting the stage for the affairs and betrayals surrounding the last battle of the Great War before the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant.
Deceived is written by Paul S. Kemp with the BioWare and LucasArts teams' full cooperation and creative consultation to bring an accurate account of the explosive incident and the ruthless man behind it.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived is due out in hardcover on December 28, 2010. You can pre-order it today from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Borders.

http://twitter.com/#!/Paulskemp