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The key impacts of the research into the non-entertainment use of computer games technology and virtual worlds at the Serious Games Institute (SGI) have been:
The reach of these impacts extends to partners both within the UK and overseas. Beneficiaries include companies, health professionals, educators, young people and their parents.
An innovative approach towards researching story-telling and its relevance in games design has resulted in cultural and economic impact in the creative sector and generated novel approaches that have influenced creative practice in the games industry. As a direct result of the research, an independent games development studio has been established and two commercial game titles have been released, with commercial sales to date of approximately £1.65m. The first release, Dear Esther, has been a major commercial success, has also won several industry recognition awards and is cited as directly responsible for the genesis of a new gaming genre.
MissionMaker is an innovative tool developed by IOE researchers in partnership with a software publisher which allows children and young people to make sophisticated 3D computer games without having programming knowledge. It has expanded thinking about games as an art form and children's ability to make and understand their structures, and has challenged stereotypes about games as `gendered' toys. It is endorsed by examination boards and used in hundreds of schools and centres throughout the UK and internationally. Designed in consultation with pupils and teachers, it encourages creative and strategic thinking in the English and Media curriculum in respect of games, which have received scant attention in school curricula.
Our research on technologies in science learning has led to increased participation by young people and adults in science, shifting their understanding of the scientific process. Impacts include:
The impact of this work is in 2 key areas: using new technologies to raise literacy levels and engage disaffected students and using technology to increase language learning opportunities for primary and secondary students in socially deprived areas. Teachers, trainees, students and teaching assistants report increased confidence in using new technologies; students with low literacy and/or English as a second language report greater engagement, understanding and ability to access the curriculum. As a result of the research, improved literacy levels, greater engagement in lessons and a willingness to use new technologies in the modern foreign languages classroom are evidenced.
Research by the University of Nottingham's Education and Technology for Health team has benefited healthcare students, professionals, users, carers and institutions both in the UK and internationally by establishing a participatory methodology for high-quality, sustainable multimedia Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs). These learning tools are now used in 50 countries globally to facilitate individual access to knowledge, enhance learning within curriculums and deliver continuing professional development, with feedback showing satisfaction of up to 100% in some nations. They are also being used to train healthcare professionals in resource-poor countries, further strengthening the University of Nottingham's role as a global education provider.
Our research studies demonstrate the efficacy of using Interactive Systems in cognitive and functional rehabilitation, including working memory, functional skills, choice reaction time, decision making and upper limb function. Stroke is the third most common disease in the UK with over 100,000 cases annually costing the UK economy £8.9 billion/year, and around 25/1000 people have mild or moderate Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in the UK. Our research has changed practice in schools, improved the employment skills of people with disabilities, informed standards, helped sustain a social enterprise, and has influenced the way practitioners across the EU conduct their own vocational training.
The Mixed Reality Laboratory (MRL) has collaborated with the artists Blast Theory to transform UK theatre and drive innovation in games and television. The underlying research was published as a series of papers in ACM Transactions on CHI and at the ACM's CHI conference between 2003 and 2012, with two CHI papers winning best paper awards. By creating and touring a series of innovative and technically advanced performances, we have enriched cultural life and influenced a rising generation of UK artists. By then jointly collaborating with companies such as Microsoft, Sony, Nokia and the BBC, we have innovated new games and television formats. Evidence of this impact is to be found in: performances touring to 40 venues in 18 countries to be experienced by over 200,000 people; 160 reviews in international press; artistic and industry awards; direct involvement of industry partners in follow-on commercial projects; and consultancy.
Our research explored the ways the emerging Semantic Web can support teaching and learning. It identified case based learning as a key area and outputs were used to enhance the unique research council funded Economic and Social Data Service public collections and pioneers pages. Results informed the thinking of accountancy bodies on e-assessment via the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants/International Association for Accounting Education. An exemplary user case study derived from the research was selected by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The research supported the aggregation and presentation of Open Educational Resources via JISC. Project software and documentation was released as open source. Outcomes provided the `Liverpool, City of Radicals' Project timeline.
Robertson's research in learning via game-authoring demonstrated sustainable success in bringing programming into schools. This subsequently catalysed (i) creation of a whole new suite of qualifications by the Scottish Qualifications Authority; (ii) inclusion of the requirement for games development experience in the new Scottish Technologies Curriculum; (iii) the development of `Computing at Schools Scotland' in terms of its successful annual conference and provision of specialist CPD for Computing teachers. Having so far influenced the education of over 500,000 Scottish pupils, Robertson's work is also cited in the key document underpinning Obama's programme for STEM training in the US via game-authoring.