Muzzy Lane Commences work on Federally-Funded Science Game Project
Friday, Sep 25, 2009
Muzzy Lane today executed a contract with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop middle-school science games. Funding for the project is in the form of a multi-year Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant as part of DARPA's Game World project. DARPA has a long and successful track record with using games and simulations for educating and training America’s military personnel and is exploring whether that positive experience can be replicated in the nation’s schools to address science education. Muzzy Lane will continue to partner with the Federation of American Scientists, and will work with K12 Inc. on the game-curriculum and pedagogy. K12 also plans to participate in the testing and deployment of the project.
David Martz, Muzzy Lane’s executive producer for the project, said: “Along with our partners we are thrilled to be developing a project of this scope. Gaming is an integral part of middle-schoolers’ lives. This project presents a tremendous opportunity for us to leverage the popularity, learning potential, and technology of the medium to improve science education. DARPA’s commitment to this effort demonstrates that they believe that we have the tools, ideas, and partners to make it happen.”
The games will be deployed on Muzzy Lane’s web-based Sandstone game platform – technology developed as a result of Muzzy Lane’s years of experience designing learning- games and technology, and deploying and testing games with teachers in schools and classrooms. Running in a web-browser, Sandstone games can feature 3D avatars and characters, complex 3D worlds and animations, simulations, and more. Multiplayer capability is built-in, and different genres of games can be created and supported, including role-playing games, strategy games, tycoon games, and action games. Students’ accomplishments and data will be stored on the web, so that teachers can easily see and assess student progress, and offer feedback and help.
ABOUT MUZZY LANE SOFTWARE: (www.muzzylane.com)
Muzzy Lane Software is an innovative developer of 3-D games and game technology. Based in Newburyport, Mass, the company creates its own branded games and works with partners including CPB, Pearson Education, DARPA, and others to create custom web-based games on the company’s Sandstone platform. Sandstone delivers 3D-games in the browser as a web service, and provides tight integration between the game and the web, and tools to let teachers see and assess student's in-game actions. Muzzy Lane’s games include the Making History series, a noted line of historical strategy games that has been successful commercially, and has been used as a learning game in hundreds of classrooms across the United States.
ABOUT FAS: (www.fas.org)
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) was founded in 1945 by scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs. These scientists recognized that science had become central to many key public policy questions. They believed that scientists had a unique responsibility to both warn the public and policy leaders of potential dangers from scientific and technical advances and to show how good policy could increase the benefits of new scientific knowledge. With 70 Nobel Laureates on its Board of Sponsors, FAS provides timely, nonpartisan technical analysis on complex global issues that hinge on science and technology. Priding itself on agility and an ability to bring together people from many disciplines and organizations, the organization often addresses critical policy topics that are not well covered by other organizations.FAS projects are organized under three main program areas: Energy and the Environment, Learning Technologies, and Strategic Security.
ABOUT K12: (NYSE:LRN; http://www.k12.com )
K12 Inc. (NYSE:LRN), a technology-based education company, is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in kindergarten through high school (K-12). K12 provides its high quality, award-winning curriculum and academic services to online schools, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families. K12 has delivered over one million semester courses to students worldwide. Last year in the U.S., more than 50,000 students in 21 states were enrolled in online public schools that use the K12 program. K12 Inc. also operates the K12 International Academy, an accredited, diploma-granting online private school.
David Martz, Muzzy Lane’s executive producer for the project, said: “Along with our partners we are thrilled to be developing a project of this scope. Gaming is an integral part of middle-schoolers’ lives. This project presents a tremendous opportunity for us to leverage the popularity, learning potential, and technology of the medium to improve science education. DARPA’s commitment to this effort demonstrates that they believe that we have the tools, ideas, and partners to make it happen.”
The games will be deployed on Muzzy Lane’s web-based Sandstone game platform – technology developed as a result of Muzzy Lane’s years of experience designing learning- games and technology, and deploying and testing games with teachers in schools and classrooms. Running in a web-browser, Sandstone games can feature 3D avatars and characters, complex 3D worlds and animations, simulations, and more. Multiplayer capability is built-in, and different genres of games can be created and supported, including role-playing games, strategy games, tycoon games, and action games. Students’ accomplishments and data will be stored on the web, so that teachers can easily see and assess student progress, and offer feedback and help.
ABOUT MUZZY LANE SOFTWARE: (www.muzzylane.com)
Muzzy Lane Software is an innovative developer of 3-D games and game technology. Based in Newburyport, Mass, the company creates its own branded games and works with partners including CPB, Pearson Education, DARPA, and others to create custom web-based games on the company’s Sandstone platform. Sandstone delivers 3D-games in the browser as a web service, and provides tight integration between the game and the web, and tools to let teachers see and assess student's in-game actions. Muzzy Lane’s games include the Making History series, a noted line of historical strategy games that has been successful commercially, and has been used as a learning game in hundreds of classrooms across the United States.
ABOUT FAS: (www.fas.org)
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) was founded in 1945 by scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs. These scientists recognized that science had become central to many key public policy questions. They believed that scientists had a unique responsibility to both warn the public and policy leaders of potential dangers from scientific and technical advances and to show how good policy could increase the benefits of new scientific knowledge. With 70 Nobel Laureates on its Board of Sponsors, FAS provides timely, nonpartisan technical analysis on complex global issues that hinge on science and technology. Priding itself on agility and an ability to bring together people from many disciplines and organizations, the organization often addresses critical policy topics that are not well covered by other organizations.FAS projects are organized under three main program areas: Energy and the Environment, Learning Technologies, and Strategic Security.
ABOUT K12: (NYSE:LRN; http://www.k12.com )
K12 Inc. (NYSE:LRN), a technology-based education company, is the nation’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs to students in kindergarten through high school (K-12). K12 provides its high quality, award-winning curriculum and academic services to online schools, traditional classrooms, blended school programs, and directly to families. K12 has delivered over one million semester courses to students worldwide. Last year in the U.S., more than 50,000 students in 21 states were enrolled in online public schools that use the K12 program. K12 Inc. also operates the K12 International Academy, an accredited, diploma-granting online private school.