Cahsi Game Studios

Research Question

Can Augmented Reality be used in Video Game Development as an effective tool to motivate middle school students to pursue careers in fields such as science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM)?

Abstract

Nano Games seeks to respond to the lack of middle school students interested in STEAM careers [1] through the innovative use of Augmented Reality (AR) and engaging educational narratives that teach about nanotechnology concepts. As a research group, we aim to understand what it takes to develop an AR application, its features, and its impact on society.

Description

CAHSI Game Studio is an RUM research group that aims to foster game development skills among students and at the same time broaden members’ skills in video game development for careers in these fields. The project encompasses workshops, GameJams and collaborative game development with the PIEU institute using tools such as Godot for programming and Blender for art.

Objectives

1. Motivate middle school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) related fields.
2. Encourage students to take a scientific perspective of the world while using Augmented Reality as an educational tool to teach them about nanotechnology concepts.
3. Eliminate the stigmas that can be found in the different topics of STEAM.

Methodology

1. The Exploration Phase: where the team will create the design document that will be used for the AR application after reviewing already existing AR games, technologies, and nanotechnology concepts.

2. The Prototyping Phase: the team will create one or two prototypes testing the minimum viable product features of the application.

3. The Development Phase: the team will continue expanding on the best prototype generated in order to create the final viable product to be tested with middle school students.

4. The Testing Phase: the team will do the integration and user testing of the app where the students will file an educational assessment to verify the effectiveness of the created AR game.