IBM Launches Environmental Educational World

IBM today launched PowerUp, a free, 3D virtual world today aimed at educating teenagers  about alternative energy sources and environmental conservation. A part of IBM's TryScience initiative and launching at Engineer's Week 2008 on February 16, the world tries to merge the appeal of fantasy virtual worlds with the educational goal of building wind- and watermills to save the world. "Innovation is the key to competitiveness in today's globally integrated economy, but just when we need it to skyrocket, interest in math and science has been declining in the United States,"  Stanley S. Litow, VP of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs and President of IBM International Foundation, said in a statement "American competitiveness demands more interest in math and science by students. Virtual worlds and 3D are an unexplored resource in education. We asked our best researchers to incorporate the use of this technology into traditional educational curriculum."

The world comes with classroom lesson plans, including some on using 3D technology to build worlds, but also features NPCs in-world to drive education and story. Users can communicate through avatars, but only with phrase-based chat to promote safety.

"Learning through games and simulation is the way to engage tech-savvy students today," said Michael Mino, Director, Center for 21st Century Skills @ EDUCATION CONNECTION. "If we have any hope of saving the 'real world from real problems,' we must embrace teaching students through computer games and virtual simulations."

Comments

[Raindancer]

It is quite interesting that a foundation that calls itself 'international' serves the purpose of giving American students a better scientific education to match or surpass that of foreigners. So 'international' really means: competition with other countries.