The Master’s program at Indiana University’s School of Informatics includes a year long thesis project. This project is a culmination of all of the skills learned in classes and on other projects over the course of the program. I chose to do a project that tied together many of my interests, specifically the fields of computer / video gaming, education / e-learning, and HCI.

The project could be either research or design oriented; due to my extensive design experience from my freelance web and WisdomTools careers, I chose to go with the research project as I felt that this was an area that I could personally grow and expand my skill set. While there were basic milestones built into the project, the overall schedule, planning, and driving force behind the project was up to me.

The problem space
Motivating elementary age children to learn through the use of technology.

In the state of Indiana, there is a direct correlation between 4th grade English language proficiency and high school graduation rates. In other words, if you look at a school’s 4th grade test scores, the percentage of students that are able to pass their English exams is roughly the same percentage that will graduate high school in the same district.

The Research Process
I didn’t start out knowing that I would focus on 4th grade students. I had a sort of general idea that I wanted to do something that combined the education and gaming industries. Past that? I didn’t have a clue.

I began the research process with some general white paper research. Several of my professors at IU had recently written papers on the impact on society of virtual environments, like Second Life, on real world trends and attitudes. So, I continued digging through what seemed like an endless stack of paperwork.

I began to come across a common theme in many of these papers: Motivation, and how it can affect the output from a person, or a group of people. This then lead to the ideas of intrinsically motivating vs. extrinsically motivating individuals. In other words, are they finding it within themselves to do something or are you forcing them to do it?

My next step was to begin interviewing educators. I wanted to see what sorts of technology were being used in the classroom. I wanted to feel out this idea of motivation, and see what exactly was being done to motivate students. As I began looking at the resources I already had in my extended network, I tried to fill in the gaps on all levels. Ultimately, I met with the following group of individuals from around the state:

• A superintendent of a school district
• A guidance counselor in a middle school
• An elementary school science teacher
• A high school principal
• An elementary school principal
• The director of assessment for a school district
• The statewide director of information systems

Data was then analyzed to find similarities between the different school districts and individuals. This research was then combined with the data extracted from articles, e-learning professionals, and experience in both the e-learning and gaming fields.

Note: Students were not interviewed or observed during this project due to Human Subjects restrictions.

Project Conclusions
Ultimately, the conclusions reached in this project are the groundwork for an entirely separate design project.

In order to be effective, an education should be based in technology. In doing this, most (not all) students will be more motivated to learn. Technology will also allow teachers to more easily ensure proficiency in their classes, and allow for students to move at their own pace. The technology itself should be a combination of real world technology, such as Office suites and the internet, and instructional aides, such as serious games and assessment tools. Teachers must be included not only in the implementation, but the design and updating of this technology. And finally, it must absolutely address the individual needs, desires, and strengths of each student.

Project at a Glance:
Research Methods Used: Interview, Contextual Inquiry, Data Analysis, Web and Literature Review
Final Deliverable: Powerpoint Presentation to group of peers and 75page whitepaper

A copy of my thesis is available upon request.