Subject: RE: [IFETS-Discuss] the roman empire, storm chasing and cave visit
mharrsch@oregon.uoregon.edu
Date: Mon 03 Jul 2000 - 02:34:27 MEST
From: mharrsch@oregon.uoregon.edu Subject: RE: [IFETS-Discuss] the roman empire, storm chasing and cave visit Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 17:34:27 -0700
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Eric, I checked out one of the fansites for Caesar III
(http://caesar3.heavengames.com/) and it does list some cheat codes. The
titles sound like some of them are more strategy suggestions than cheats but
they are listed as cheats.
The official website for Caesar III is: http://www.caesar3.com/ .
Impressions Games also have an ancient Egyptian society-based game called
"Pharoah". They are about to release Zeus: Master of Olympus which also
sounds quite intriguing. A "Cleopatra" add-on pack for "Pharoah" will also
be available soon. I wrote to Impressions Games and suggested they consider
incorporating some artificial intelligence into the city characters so a
player could negotiate marriages, political alliances, etc. like the real
Romans did but maybe that is asking a little too much right now with the
current state of the gaming industry.
Sometimes it is so hard to tell about the potential for some software
titles. I read about "Nile: An Ancient Egyptian Quest" by Simon & Schuster.
When I received the title and installed it I was so disappointed. It was a
frustrating maze-type game like some of the first games from the early 90s
navigating forward, back, left, and right with your arrow keys and passages
only allowing 90 or 180 degree shifts in direction. The Egyptian stories
read by Kelly McGillis would only appeal to a hard-core scholar of Egyptian
mythology not 8 - 14 year olds, the game's target audience. Despite my
efforts to concentrate on the game, I found it so boring I couldn't tolerate
more than 15 minutes of it at a time and I'm sure younger players wouldn't
last half that long.
By the way, the Annenberg site (http://www.learner.org/exhibits/) was
fascinating. I really enjoyed your "Storm Chaser" exhibit. This exhibit
could be further enhanced with a module on atmospheric pressure readings and
recording wind speed and direction and projecting a tornado's path with the
viewer given the opportunity to sound an alert at appropriate places.
Consequences could include being fired for too many false alerts or too many
deaths from failure to alert the appropriate towns in time. Multiple
scenarios could easily be developed to add replayability and reinforce the
learning process.
I also really enjoyed the "Hollwood Cinema" exhibit. I was gratified that I
succeeded in making producer's decisions that resulted in a moneymaking
critically acclaimed film. Several years ago I purchased Steven Spielberg's
"Director's Chair" which takes this scenario to the ultimate experience.
The player selects a script, then films, edits and markets their finished
work to "win" the game. My only complaint about the CD-Rom was that the
topic for the film was not very interesting - hardly Spielbergesque!
However, the Annenberg online Cinema exhibit provided nice examples of
interactivity that prompted me to not only attempt each activity but read
and ponder the entire site's information - the goal of any educational
experience.
As a lover of history and archaeology I was also entranced by the
Civilization exhibit. I liked the way the visitor is encouraged to evaluate
clues to the fall of Copan and then reach a conclusion that was then
compared to the results of real archaeologists. I think this is much more
effective than simply relating findings of the archaeological team. I also
liked the "journal" aspect of this activity which you also included in your
Storm Chaser exhibit. This not only provides the means for students to
review their observations but gives them an opportunity for composition as
well. Printing, illustrating, and sharing these journals in class would be
an excellent extension to the activity. I also enjoyed the associated web
sites, like the one on archaeological sampling strategies. I think this
information could be used to produce several different scenarios where the
students could choose a sampling strategy and record the results in their
journals along with reasons why they selected the particular strategy for
the particular site. Of course changing site features, numbers of artifacts
and their arrangement could be used to produce an exercise with almost
unlimited replayability. Examples using the random sampling technique could
also include a computer-generated list of random coordinates that the
students could plot on a grid overlay of the site. This would also give the
students experience in graphing. I also enjoyed the related NASA site
(http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/eyes_sky/home.html) explaining
satellite imaging and giving students an opportunity to calculate areas of
different topographical regions using Landsat photos. Even the java
applet-based word search puzzles related to the search for Ubar
(http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/exhibits/ubar/ubar_0.html) was fun but
also reinforced the concepts and vocabulary related to the exercise. The
"Voyage Into Archaeology" site
(http://ted.educ.sfu.ca/people/staff/jmd/archaeology/voyage1.htm ) kept me
occupied for over an hour with it's explanation of archaeological concepts,
sample digs, and comparing my conclusions with other "beginners" as well as
experienced archaeologists. I do think it would be helpful to have each
individual print out their field journals so they could be evaluated by the
instructor. I noticed several people exploring the site did not seem to be
taking the exercises seriously (based on their journal entries or lack
thereof) which is okay if it is simply a casual exploration but not suitable
for a class assignment. A printed journal could help the instructor gauge
the quality of each student's experience.
Truly, you and your fellow developers of this site have a very good grasp of
"engaging" educational online experiences!
Mary Harrsch
Network & Information Systems Manager
College of Education
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 346-3554
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/
Commentary Section Editor
The Technology Source
http://horizon.unc.edu/ts/
A free refereed web periodical that features
articles on methods and efforts to infuse technology
into educational organizations.
----- Original Message -----
From: <KCStarguy@aol.com>
To: <ifets-discuss@topica.com>; <mharrsch@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 9:36 AM
Subject: the roman empire, storm chasing and cave visit
Mary
saw your interesting information posted (see below).
<<
Hundreds of thousands of copies of this game have been sold to people who
willingly spend hours attempting to succeed and be promoted to the highest
echelons of Roman society all the while learning about resource management,
social structures, defense strategies, ancient Roman religion, etc.
Mary Harrsch
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mharrsch/
Does the Caesar III allow for cheat codes? I hope not and if so that is one
up on simcity2000 and maxis.
Do you know that even before simcity3000 came out, cheat codes were already
posted on many websites? I wonder where these people got the cheat codes
from. BTW I will not use SC3000 because it is not a measurable upgrade to
SC2000. The graphics are nicer but I think they take away rather then
enhance
the simulation.
I have not used Caesar but heard it is a good one. I just want to know
whether students can misuse and abuse its use as much as they do the
simcity2000 and 3000.
Our motto- we don't use (any stinking) cheat codes.
Meanwhile take a look at the tornado simulation I designed for the Annenburg
foundation. As you will see there is observation, analysis and feedback.
This
is actually the less rigorous model (that Annenburg chose) but I am thinking
of ways to improve its use through my camps and classes. I think a key is to
have students write down, map , draw and answer questions to focus their
attention while allowing them to explore and think.
Also I designed an award winning activity in which the simulation activity
allows students to visit a cave in France, explore the 20,000 year old art
work and then apply the information to performing their own cave drawings. I
can send copies of that activity to those interested as well.
Dr. Eric Flescher (KCStarguy@aol.com) Project S.I.M. (Simulations,
Interdisciplinary internet and Metacognitive activities)
http://members.aol.com/kcstarguy/sim/index.htm Project A.S.S.E.T. (Adopt a
School, Space, Earth quadraT)
Dr. Eric Flescher, (KCStarguy@aol.com)- Educational Technology
Consultant-Multimedia- Adjunct Faculty, Lesley College-Technology Magic and
Worlds to Explore-20 plus ways for using the internet for teaching, learning
and education model http://ada.lesley.edu/faculty/flescher/team1.htm
Consultant/Website Content Specialist- Annenburg weather website-
http://learner.org/exhibits/weather/Storm chaser simulation
http://learner.org/exhibits/weather/act_tornado/
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