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Canadian Space Agency's I.L.E. Contract Awarded to Project Whitecard and Team |
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Written by Khal Shariff
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Saturday, 30 August 2008 |
Winnipeg August, 2008
Canadian Space Agency's Immersive Learning Environment Contract Awarded to Winnipeg's Project Whitecard and Team!
The Canadian Space Agency this week has awarded a contract for a new immersive learning product to Project Whitecard and Team.
The product will be designed to teach mathematics at the elementary and high school levels, featuring the famous Canadarm2 and Dextre robots. Canadian astronaut Julie Payette's role as the robotics lead on upcoming space shuttle mission STS 127 will be featured as students are immersed in the space robotics environment, take control of the virtual robotics systems, learn and apply age-appropriate math concepts and complete a series of robotics tasks similar to those assigned to Ms. Payette. Innovative modes of learning and assessment will be employed, harnessing the power of modern game technology, thus introducing a new era in education to classrooms across the nation.
"It will feel real and students will control their learning environment and math education will take on a whole new dimension," says Khal Shariff, CEO of Project Whitecard, "Canadians have some beautiful technology up there in space, and the new immersive technologies are finally catching up to the point where they are going to provide the next space generation with virtual, hands-on access to space so that they can use it as the ultimate learning platform."
The project will assemble a world-class international team which includes Project Whitecard, famed advanced learning technology experts Virtual Heroes Inc. of North Carolina, Cinetik Studios of Montreal, Canadian Space Agency robotics and training experts and even a Canadian astronaut! The Canadian Space Agency's new learning products will launch in early 2009.
The challenge of the Team is to create a specific curriculum-based product which at the same time remains fun and is engaging to students and educators alike. The DVD will feature a cutting-edge, multiplayer immersive environment on the International Space Station, space shuttle in tow, with high-fidelity 3D graphics and an unprecedented level of interactivity.
Project Whitecard is a company specializing in the new "Serious Gaming" field for space exploration, health, training and education. They are located at the University of Manitoba Smartpark as part of the Eureka! Business Incubator. CEO Khal Shariff has participated in several NASA outreach projects as a speaker and also maintains the Serious Games Canada industry group.
Partner Virtual Heroes Inc. (VHI), the "Advanced Learning Technology Company" creates collaborative interactive learning solutions for U.S. Federal Systems, Healthcare and Corporate Training markets. VHI applications facilitate highly interactive, self-paced learning and instructor-led, distributed team training on the Virtual Heroes Advanced Learning Technology (A.L.T.) platform.
Cinetik Studios have been developing game based training and simulations since 2004. Their mission is simple and straightforward: to develop profitable efficient game-based training and simulation systems for corporate, institutional and government clients using existing and proven game technology.
This is Project Whitecard and Virtual Heroes' first project with the Canadian Space Agency. Project Whitecard also produces "Project Moonwalk," a science education game featuring Apollo and Constellation Missions. Needless to say, all the team members are very excited to be working with the Canadian Space Agency on such acreative and forward-thinking project.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 September 2008 )
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Droplet Dance-Off a Big Hit at the Ex |
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Written by Khal Shariff
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Friday, 04 July 2008 |
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Droplet Dance Finals were a big Hit at the Ex this year. Project Whitecard developed "Droplet Dance Finals" as part of the CanolaKids.com
Click to watch
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Last Updated ( Friday, 04 July 2008 )
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Winnipeg: NASA promotes virtues of online video gaming |
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Written by Khal Shariff
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Friday, 16 May 2008 |
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I was very proud to introduce Daniel to Winnipeg. Daniel Laughlin is an amazing and fun fellow whose project is the just-announced NASA
Massively-Multiplayer Online game.
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NASA promotes virtues of online video gaming
By: Aldo Santin
Updated: May 16, 2008 at 12:45 AM CDT
A NASA researcher came to Winnipeg on Thursday to promote the virtues of often-maligned online video gaming.
Daniel Laughlin said rock 'n' roll and comic books were treated with as much suspicion in their day and accused of corrupting youth. However, he believes video games hold the key to a resurgence in learning.
"Since 1993, violent crime in Canada and the U.S. has declined by 50 per cent and during that time the video-gaming industry has exploded," Laughlin said. "If video games were really linked to crime, then we wouldn't have seen that decline in violence."
NASA's learning technologies project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Centre in Baltimore said video-game software has been successfully used in training and simulation programs and NASA hopes to develop the most successful, fun, online video game ever.
Laughlin detailed NASA's plans to a local group of academics, government officials and industry representatives who met at the University of Manitoba's Smartpark for a half-day workshop on video-gaming technology and how it can be used in training environments.
Laughlin wasn't kidding about NASA wanting to develop an online video game that would rival some of the industry's most successful, like EverQuest, World of Warcraft and Dark Age of Camelot. In January, NASA issued a request for information on how it could work with the gaming industry to develop a learning game. The space agency received 168 detailed responses and, after reviewing them, released at the end of April a formal request for proposals. NASA is looking for a partner who would develop a fun and popular game that would help hone the science and mathematics skills of high schoolers and college students -- and some really, really smart 12 to 14-year-olds.
"I'd love to see a space-based game where the players are placed in real careers -- astrophysicists, aerospace engineer," Laughlin said. "It would be a game where you need the expertise of real science to succeed."
Laughlin was speaking to about 100 people with a vested interest in online technology. The group included representatives from the health-care industry, software companies and game developers.
Laughlin said online video games are a $40-billion annual industry seeing growth of between nine and 10 per cent every year.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 May 2008 )
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 An exciting project is underway with the Manitoba Canola Growers. A "kids's site" complete with new branding and flash games is being prepared for launch in June 2007. (Be on the lookout for CanolaKids.com ) |
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