Grant: Engage Grants Program

This proposal is to initiate a collaboration between the University of Winnipeg and Project Whitecard, which is a company based in Winnipeg specializing in the new "Serious Gaming" field for space exploration, health, training and education. In August 2008 they were awarded a contract by the Canadian Space Agency for a new immersive learning product that is designed to teach mathematics at the elementary and high school levels, featuring the Canadarm2 and Dextre robots. This is part of a major NASA-based multiplayer online educational game (MMO) project Astronaut: Moon Mars and Beyond, which has assembled a world-class international team which includes Project Whitecard, advanced learning technology experts Virtual Heroes Inc. of North Carolina, Cinetik Studios of Montreal, and the Canadian Space Agency robotics and training experts, among others. The role of the team members at the University of Winnipeg, consisting of three professors in the Physics Department - Dr. R. Kobes, Dr. J. Martin, and Dr. D. Vincent - plus two students, will be to investigate and develop the science behind some of the simulations used in the game, so as the experience of the players will be as scientifically accurate and realistic as possible. Content agreements with the American Museum of Natural History and the estate of Arthur C. Clarke are in place to have the designs used for the Moonbase Academy developed for the NASA MMO game be named the Arthur C. Clarke Moonbase Academy.