AMERICAN DYNASTIES Wraps Classroom Testing
Friday, Oct 17, 2008
Newburyport, MA -- (October 17, 2008) – Muzzy Lane and the Center for New American Media (CNAM) announced today that they have completed fall classroom testing of AMERICAN DYNASTIES. AMERICAN DYNASTIES is an innovative 3-D game designed to teach social history to middle school students. It is one of seven projects funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American History and Civics Initiative to create a prototype that explores new ways to teach history and civics to middle and high school students using 21st Century media.
Over the past several months, AMERICAN DYNASTIES has been brought into classrooms in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland and New York in an effort to see how the game can be integrated into a middle school curriculum. These classroom tests were orchestrated by Cynthia Char of Char Associates, an independent education evaluation firm, and facilitated by representatives from Muzzy Lane Software and the CNAM, the game’s designers. All parties are thrilled with the results of the classroom tests.
“In all the classrooms, the students have been very engaged in the game,” said Louis Alvarez of CNAM. “They're not talking about what they did last night; but rather they are focused on the game world, and what they need to do.” According to evaluator Cynthia Char, “Students’ level of engagement with the game was consistently high. The prototype provided a rich learning experience in history for students.” One pleasant surprised for the design team was the creativity employed by teachers in crafting lesson plans and support materials to help integrate the game into their larger history curriculum. “This is a very positive sign,” said Andy Kolker of CNAM. “We designed AD to provide a focused, in-world experience that could generate or enrich classroom group activities.” Several teachers found ways to connect the students’ in-game historical experience with contemporary issues and events. After playing the game, students engaged in debates and creative writing assignments based on issues present in the game.
Muzzy Lane and CNAM are seeking additional funding and support to expand the successful prototype into a finished commercial product. We look forward to the opportunity to deliver the excitement and educational value of AMERICAN DYNASTIES to classrooms around the country.
About Muzzy Lane Software
Muzzy Lane Software is an innovative developer of 3-D single and multiplayer games. Based in Newburyport, Mass, the company creates its own branded games and works with partners to produce private-label games. Muzzy Lane's products take a fresh new approach to computer games, combining a flexible 3-D game engine with high-fidelity content and tools that allow players to customize their game and add their own content. For more information, visit www.muzzylane.com.
About the Center for New American Media
The Center for New American Media is an innovative media production company that understands how to craft effective and engaging stories to make history come. Their documentary films have been featured on PBS, a have won numerous awards, including the Peabody Award and the DuPont-Columbia Journalism Award. For more information, visit www.cnam.com.
About Char Associates
Char Associates is an independent consulting firm specializing in the design and evaluation of educational programs and products. They provide program and materials development, program evaluation, and training for a wide variety of clients involved in formal and informal education, including corporations, government agencies, community-based organizations, museums, schools, and universities. Established in 1996 by Dr. Cynthia Char, Ed.D., Char Associates draws upon 30 years of experience in educational program design and evaluation, and has clients throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.charassociates.com
Over the past several months, AMERICAN DYNASTIES has been brought into classrooms in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maryland and New York in an effort to see how the game can be integrated into a middle school curriculum. These classroom tests were orchestrated by Cynthia Char of Char Associates, an independent education evaluation firm, and facilitated by representatives from Muzzy Lane Software and the CNAM, the game’s designers. All parties are thrilled with the results of the classroom tests.
“In all the classrooms, the students have been very engaged in the game,” said Louis Alvarez of CNAM. “They're not talking about what they did last night; but rather they are focused on the game world, and what they need to do.” According to evaluator Cynthia Char, “Students’ level of engagement with the game was consistently high. The prototype provided a rich learning experience in history for students.” One pleasant surprised for the design team was the creativity employed by teachers in crafting lesson plans and support materials to help integrate the game into their larger history curriculum. “This is a very positive sign,” said Andy Kolker of CNAM. “We designed AD to provide a focused, in-world experience that could generate or enrich classroom group activities.” Several teachers found ways to connect the students’ in-game historical experience with contemporary issues and events. After playing the game, students engaged in debates and creative writing assignments based on issues present in the game.
Muzzy Lane and CNAM are seeking additional funding and support to expand the successful prototype into a finished commercial product. We look forward to the opportunity to deliver the excitement and educational value of AMERICAN DYNASTIES to classrooms around the country.
About Muzzy Lane Software
Muzzy Lane Software is an innovative developer of 3-D single and multiplayer games. Based in Newburyport, Mass, the company creates its own branded games and works with partners to produce private-label games. Muzzy Lane's products take a fresh new approach to computer games, combining a flexible 3-D game engine with high-fidelity content and tools that allow players to customize their game and add their own content. For more information, visit www.muzzylane.com.
About the Center for New American Media
The Center for New American Media is an innovative media production company that understands how to craft effective and engaging stories to make history come. Their documentary films have been featured on PBS, a have won numerous awards, including the Peabody Award and the DuPont-Columbia Journalism Award. For more information, visit www.cnam.com.
About Char Associates
Char Associates is an independent consulting firm specializing in the design and evaluation of educational programs and products. They provide program and materials development, program evaluation, and training for a wide variety of clients involved in formal and informal education, including corporations, government agencies, community-based organizations, museums, schools, and universities. Established in 1996 by Dr. Cynthia Char, Ed.D., Char Associates draws upon 30 years of experience in educational program design and evaluation, and has clients throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.charassociates.com