Janet Saman's ePortfolio
Interpersonal Reflection
Artifact: Invest Smart game from ED TEC 670
InvestSmart Presentation
Project Description / Situation:
In ED TEC 670 (Simulations and Games) we were asked to design a concept for a game that teachers could use in an actual classroom situation to help students learn a particular topic. My group – Gary Grant, Ann Hagen and I – designed an online game called Invest Smart to help teenagers understand the stock market and the importance of investing. Invest Smart is targeted to high school Economics students in grades 9 to 12 and is intended to help them to improve their financial knowledge and prepare for their financial future. Using the game, students select stocks, buy and sell them and report daily on the progress of their simulated investment portfolio.
Outcome:
The team agreed that the concept of designing a game that teaches smart investing was something that could be very useful in school. The more we can prepare young people for the real world, the better off they will be as adults. Our primary resource for material was Investopedia.com, which provides various tips and tools for both the beginner and experienced investor. We determined what our learning objectives for the game would be and then divided up the remaining elements for designing it. We determined the universal elements (what is the basic function), specific elements (what would the screens look like, what are the rules for playing and how is it played) and technical elements (what tools would we use to design it).
Challenges:
The three of us worked well together as a team and divided the work on the design of the game. I would say that the only real challenge was in deciding what the design details, scope and rules of the game should include. We didn’t want to make it too complex, but we did need to come up with guidelines and restrictions for playing. In the end, we had the foundation for a game that would help students learn the fundamentals of investing.
Growth:
Since I often work on projects independently for my job, this school project gave me the chance to work with a group to create a learning tool for our fictitious audience. Gary had some experience working with young people in a financial education mentoring program through his job, so his suggestions helped guide our team. I also have experience in the financial services industry and Ann was from the K-12 community. Each of us brought an important role to the project which helped the team design a successful tool.
InvestSmart Presentation
Project Description / Situation:
In ED TEC 670 (Simulations and Games) we were asked to design a concept for a game that teachers could use in an actual classroom situation to help students learn a particular topic. My group – Gary Grant, Ann Hagen and I – designed an online game called Invest Smart to help teenagers understand the stock market and the importance of investing. Invest Smart is targeted to high school Economics students in grades 9 to 12 and is intended to help them to improve their financial knowledge and prepare for their financial future. Using the game, students select stocks, buy and sell them and report daily on the progress of their simulated investment portfolio.
Outcome:
The team agreed that the concept of designing a game that teaches smart investing was something that could be very useful in school. The more we can prepare young people for the real world, the better off they will be as adults. Our primary resource for material was Investopedia.com, which provides various tips and tools for both the beginner and experienced investor. We determined what our learning objectives for the game would be and then divided up the remaining elements for designing it. We determined the universal elements (what is the basic function), specific elements (what would the screens look like, what are the rules for playing and how is it played) and technical elements (what tools would we use to design it).
Challenges:
The three of us worked well together as a team and divided the work on the design of the game. I would say that the only real challenge was in deciding what the design details, scope and rules of the game should include. We didn’t want to make it too complex, but we did need to come up with guidelines and restrictions for playing. In the end, we had the foundation for a game that would help students learn the fundamentals of investing.
Growth:
Since I often work on projects independently for my job, this school project gave me the chance to work with a group to create a learning tool for our fictitious audience. Gary had some experience working with young people in a financial education mentoring program through his job, so his suggestions helped guide our team. I also have experience in the financial services industry and Ann was from the K-12 community. Each of us brought an important role to the project which helped the team design a successful tool.
Copyright © 2010 by Janet L. Saman for the Department of Educational Technology at San Diego State University. All Rights Reserved.
