Presenter: Scott Brewster, Founding Partner & Chief Technical Officer, Triad Interactive Media For most people, game experiences are a part daily life–whether it be playing a casual game on their mobile phone or playing a “game” with themselves to see how much further they can run the next time they go jogging. Games are how students learn in the real world, and more and more their expectation will be to have similar experiences when they are in the classroom. Brewster will discuss how games can be used to improve preservice and inservice teacher STEM content knowledge AND help them become more comfortable with using gaming and technology in the classroom.

1. Leveraging Serious Games to Promote STEM
Competency for Pre-Service & In-Service Teachers
Scott Brewster
scott@triadinteractivemedia.com
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2. Interactive Training & Learning
About
Triad Interactive
Helping make games
ubiquitous in schools
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3. Our catalogue
Professional
Development
360 approach;
Get teachers hooked first
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4. What We Know: K-8 Teachers
❖ Existing math & science skills
❖ Attitude about math & science
❖ Comfortability with games
❖ Vision of games
(supplemental)

5. We cannot change students’ math or science scores or
solve the STEM pipeline problem until we address these challenges.
Triad’s Products Pre-Service Teachers;
In-Service Teachers
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6. Our Products
❖ Game-based solutions
❖ R&D approach
❖ evidence-centered design
❖ feasibility studies
❖ iterative design cycle
❖ efficacy studies

7. So what does game-based training in
STEM look like for teachers?

8. The first suite of PD games for teachers
PlatinuMath Teacher Education Programs;
K-8 Professional Development
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11. Companion product for science
Project NEO Teacher Education Programs;
K-8 Professional Development
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14. Pre-Service Teachers
How Our Products
are Used
• Improves knowledge &
skills
• More comfortable teaching
games
• Dozens of use cases

15. In-Service Teachers
How Our Products
are Used
• 12-hour; knowledge & skills
• 6-hour; games focus

16. What We’ve Learned
❖ Improved math & science
knowledge & skills
❖ Enhanced preference for
science & math
❖ Improved comfort teaching
with games

17. Highlights of our System
❖ Framework design
❖ Play
❖ Learn
❖ Apply
❖ Teach
❖ Talk

19. Games form the heart
of our products

21. Graphics & Narrative
❖ Console quality graphics &
media
❖ Engaging narrative
❖ Cross-gender appeal

23. Game Characteristics
❖ Conceptual & procedural
❖ Differentiated instruction
(6 levels of difficulty)
❖ Addictive games
❖ R&D approach
❖ Evidence-centered design
❖ Iterative development

24. Comprehensive Learning System
❖ TPACK Framework
❖ Play, Learn, Apply, Teach, Talk
❖ Aligned to Standards
❖ 21st Century Skills
❖ Formative Assessment; Dashboard

25. TPACK
Technological Pedagogical
Content Knowledge
Framework to understand and
describe the knowledge needed
by teachers for effective
pedagogical practice in a
technology enhanced learning
environment

26. Jordan Ellenberg
Simple, Profound Complicated, Shallow

27. PlatinuMath’s companion system
Project NEO Halfway complete;
NSF-funded

29. Next Steps
Student Versions Late Elementary;
Middle School

30. What the Results Show
❖ PlatinuMath - tested in a dozen
teacher education programs
(math methods); audience is
growing
❖ PlatinuMath improves
knowledge AND attitude
❖ Continually improving the
product

31. Moving On…

33. Commercialization

34. Conclusion & Questions