Late June, the Serious Games Association disclosed the Gold,Silver and Bronze Medal winners of the 2015 competition, when we came to
know that Schell Games was the deserved recipient of
Gold Medal honors for two of its games: both The World of Lexica and Water Bears were recognized for their high quality of engagement and
measurable learning opportunities.
At the 2015 International Serious Play Awards ceremony held last week,
July 23, the SGA announced that Water Bears was also awarded the Best of
Show.
Water Bears EDU is
a 3D puzzle game that requires students to use spatial reasoning and
color-mixing skills to redirect water through pipes in a grid-based
environment, giving students hands-on experience with Systems Thinking
concepts.
Developed by Schell Games in collaboration with
the Creativity Labs at Indiana
University, the Serious Game – or Transformational Game, according to
Schell Games’ value proposition - is based on a prototype funded by the
MacArthur Foundation.
Leveraging the expertise of all the involved
parties to address the teachers' needs and create a quality product, the
educational content of the game is curated by and based on the research of Dr.
Kylie Peppler, Janis Watson and their team at Indiana University. The teacher
tools and framework through which educators implement the game are developed by GlassLab Games, the nonprofit focused
on creating a high-impact games (please find also ELA Serious Games Infused With Stealth STEM Content).
Intended for 6-8 grades, Water Bears
EDU launched late March on the GlassLab Games platform and
is available to educational institutions.
Each puzzle starts with a set of water bears
that are sad dehydrated and desperately in need of some water! Players use
pipes, along with spatial reasoning, color mixing, and systems thinking skills,
to redirect the water until all of the water bears are hydrated and happy.
You can have a taste of it at https://vimeo.com/121799097 with
the uploaded video "Introducing Water Bears" on VIMEO. The game
comes with real-time reports, a teacher’s guide, and sample lesson plans that
can easily complement or supplement your existing curriculum.
About Schell Games
Schell Games is a full-service game design and development company with a focus on
creating transformational games and innovative, interactive experiences.
Founded in 2002 by world-class game designer and renowned author Jesse Schell,
the studio, based in Pittsburgh, PA, heralds a highly talented array of
artists, programmers, producers, and game designers.
Schell Games specializes in creating memorable
experiences through mobile, PC, console, handheld, online and social games,
interactive theme park attractions, internet-enabled toys and virtual worlds.
The company counts some of the world’s most respected brands as clients, such
as Amplify Learning, The Fred Rogers Company, Yale University, SeaWorld
Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company and Microsoft Corporation.