Muzzy Lane Launches Clearlab Project
Sunday, Nov 08, 2009
Muzzy Lane brings together a number of capable partners for ClearLab, including the Federation of American Scientists, curriculum developers K12 Inc., and educational design and evaluation firm Char Associates. Additionally, Muzzy Lane is opening an invitation to scientists, teachers, students and game developers with an interest in science games to participate in the project. "ClearLab presents an incredible opportunity for us to harness the learning potential of games to improve science education," says ClearLab executive producer David Martz. "We look forward to working with our exceptional partners, and encourage interested parties to sign-up and participate in the project."
Over the next two years, the ClearLab website will be a community where ideas about games for science are shared, prototype games are played and critiqued, and new design ideas and approaches are tested and vetted. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the website and create a user account in order to access games and other resources as they become available.
ClearLab 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.
Additional information about ClearLab can be obtained by emailing info@clearlabproject.com, and by following the Clearlab project on Twitter.
Visit the Clear Lab Website: http://clearlabproject.com
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.
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 next two years, the ClearLab website will be a community where ideas about games for science are shared, prototype games are played and critiqued, and new design ideas and approaches are tested and vetted. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the website and create a user account in order to access games and other resources as they become available.
ClearLab 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.
Additional information about ClearLab can be obtained by emailing info@clearlabproject.com, and by following the Clearlab project on Twitter.
Visit the Clear Lab Website: http://clearlabproject.com
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.
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