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CyGaMEs

Bilingual Association Features Selene Videogame

Dated Posted: Fri Sep 13 2013

Reduced-scale photograph of the two-page feature in NABE Perspectives.The Selene videogame created by the CyGaMEs project at the Center for Educational Technologies is featured in an issue of Perspective, a publication of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE).

The article highlights the Spanish version of Selene: A Lunar Construction Game, which debuted earlier this year.

NABE has partnered with the CyGaMEs team led by Dr. Debbie Denise Reese to promote participation in the educational research game among bilingual learners. Read the full article at the NABE website (pp. 14-15, allow publication to download before advancing pages). In support of CyGaMEs Selene, this URL links to your complimentary copy of Perspectives magazine. Perspectives is a principal benefit of NABE membership. NABE encourages educators and interested members of the public to join NABE. The cost to educators is only $60/year ($30 to parents of students enrolled in bilingual education programs). In addition to Perspectives and NABE advocacy, membership benefits include 20 percent discount at the annual NABE conference.

The new Spanish edition of Selene brings the game to untapped audiences, Reese said. With one in six Americans of Hispanic origin and the sector continuing to grow, the game now provides bilingual learners an option to learn in Spanish and English how the Earth's Moon was formed some 4.5 billion years ago.

In Selene players learn difficult geological concepts like accretion, differentiation, impact cratering, and volcanism by applying these science concepts through gameplay that helps players move toward the game's final goal of building the Earth's Moon. Players construct the Moon, then blast it with impact craters and flood it with lava to experience how our Moon formed and changed over time. All through the game Selene tracks each player's behavior to measure learning and the player's response to the game environment.

Both versions of the game are free online and available 24-7. Players ages 9-18 and adult recruiters, who confirm players' ages, get parental consent, and gather other players, are always needed to help with the CyGaMEs research. To sign up as a recruiter or play Selene, visit the Selene website or contact Selene.