The Georgia Institute of Technology is this year’s winner in the Students' Choice category of the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge with Particle in a Box: The
Quantum Mechanics Game.
The game is part of
the research project Particle
in a Box - An Experiential Approach to Quantum Mechanics Education, conducted by a Georgia
Tech’s team consisting of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students
from various disciplines who have collaborated on the design, development and evaluation
of the Educational Serious Game.
Quantum Mechanics (QM)
is the foundation of diverse science and engineering disciplines such as semiconductor
physics, materials science, and nanotechnology. However, people almost unanimously
agree that QM is extremely challenging to learn - especially for newcomers into
the field.
Students may spend
several classes learning mathematical formulas that represent the behavior of particles
in the QM world, but they may not form a clear intuitive understanding of these
concepts. This is because, unlike classical mechanics, we do not have a
first-hand experience of QM phenomena. In fact, the laws of QM completely
contradict our everyday experiences.
Through a series of experimentations with digital media, the research project addressed how games could foster experience-based learning of QM.
Through a series of experimentations with digital media, the research project addressed how games could foster experience-based learning of QM.
Gameplay
Particle-in-a-Box aims to provide students with a
unique learning environment that facilitates experiential understanding of QM
concepts. The abstract nature of Quantum Mechanics makes it hard to visualize
even for experts in the field. Existing visualizations (and very few existing
games) for QM are highly technical, too focused on mathematical formulae, and
difficult to approach.
Particle in a Box combines principles from game
design, scientific visualization, and QM physics to create a unique experience
that allows players to learn QM concepts by comparing the Classical and QM
environments.
The Educational Serious
Game consists of two interactive virtual worlds presenting the classical and quantum
mechanical manifestations of the common "particle in a box" model.
Particle in a Box Screenshot: Classical World
Particle in a Box Screenshots: Quantum World
Intended for Undergraduate Students (18 - 22 years) who are interested in Quantum Mechanics, Solid State Physics, and Microelectronic Theory courses, or with an interest in these subjects, the game’s challenge is to apply the physics concepts learnt during the tutorial levels and transfer knowledge gained from those concepts to formulate a strategy that would help the players progress through the various levels of the game.
Particle-in-a-Box brings dynamic interactivity to the
presentation of QM concepts, creating a novel way to experience them.