Inspector Space AceGame
Genre: Simulation, Strategy
Target Audience: Middle school and above. Ages 12+
Number of players: 1
Estimated length of gameplay: 60-90 minutes
Subject Area(s): STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Designers: Michelle Starcher, Anita Knox, and Jason Bickle
Topics covered: Solar system/planets, space travel, sample collection and analysis, problem solving, physics.
Learning objectives/standards addressed:
Science TEKS 6,7,8.2B: Design and implement experimental investigations by making observations, asking well defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and using appropriate equipment and technology
Science TEKS 6.6C: Test the physical properties of minerals, including hardness, color, luster, and streak
Science TEKS 6.8C: Calculate average speed using distance and time measurements
Science TEKS 6.11 B: Understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system
Science TEKS 7.9A: Analyze the characteristics of objects in our solar system that allow life to exist such as the proximity of the Sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere
Social Studies TEKS 6.22A, 7.23A, 8.31A : Use problem‐solving and decision‐making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
Social Studies TEKS 6.19C, 7.20C, 8.29C : Organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Math TEKS 6,7, 8.1B: Use a problem‐solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem‐solving process and the reasonableness of the solution
Math TEKS 7.5C: Solve mathematical and real‐world problems involving similar shape and scale drawings
Goals
The player must determine where they are and why they are in space and understand the ship and equipment to complete the following mission tasks.
Mission 1: The ship and space travel.
Players learn how to operate the spacecraft (read gauges, calculate distance, and make decisions), how-to live-in space (gravity, temperature, etc), tools used for material collection (space suit, utility tools), and more information about specific environments that are encountered (planets, moon, black holes, etc.).
Learn to navigate their ship through space based on their survival needs and mission.
Make decisions based on information about space travel, and distance to determine their flight pattern for visiting and landing on multiple planets.
Mission 2: Locating and Collecting Gases and Minerals for Water and Fuel
Locate required minerals and gases for collection for both water and fuel. Once on the planet, they will collect and analyze ground samples.
Mission 3: Create a life sustainable planet
Be able to create a life sustainable planet by adjusting distance from star (sun), atmosphere gases (volcanoes – gases and land mass, asteroid strikes – elements and water, comets – water and gases) and adjust land mass over billions of years.
Rules
Mission 1 – Player is working and learning within the ship, information resources, logs, gauges, and learning about space suit. Review missions logs and planet information including gas and mineral analysis. Review solid fuel and fission based engine speed simulations. Review requirements for a sustainable life planet.
Instruction Notes: Mission completion may require a variety of tasks including: Solving word problems, analyzing chemical elements, and decision making.
Mission 2 – Complete each mission by calculating space travel time and miles to visit a destination set of planets in outer space and collecting the required materials and gases. Materials collected are used for making fuel or water. Spacecraft can only travel at specific speeds based on solid fuel or fusion fuel. Whether looking for water or fuel elements, specific planets must be visited.
- Water Elements
- Carbon Dioxide
- Mars
- Venus
- Hydrogen
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Carbon Dioxide
- Water Element Routes
- Earth > Mars > Jupiter> Earth
- Earth > Venus > Saturn > Earth
- Fuel Elements
- Aluminum
- Mercury
- Venus
- Mars
- Ammonia
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Aluminum
- Fuel Element Routes
- Saturn > Mercury > Earth
- Jupiter > Venus > Earth
- Fuel Types
- Solid – 19,000 MPH
- Fusion – 62,000,000 MPH
Mission 3 – Create a life sustainable planet. Player will manage:
- Distance from sun
- Planet mass
- Rotation
- Element Introduction
- Meteors/Asteroids – gases, elements and water
- Volcanoes – build land masses
- Gases in Atmosphere – traps heat and gases
- Add moon/s?
- Scrolls billion years scroll bar back and forth in time over 10 billion years
Storyline
After what appears to be a restful sleep you start to blink your eyes open and stretch not fully tuned in to where you are. You sleepily attempt to roll off the side of the bed, which launches you into a spin in mid-air. You’re awake now, but you aren’t in bed. You reach for a metal pole to stop yourself from spinning, and slowly take in the environment, but where are you? Better explore your environment and figure out where you are.
Finally making your way through the ship you approach a desk with lots of buttons, gauges, and levers. You stand in amazement trying to figure out what they could be for when a monitor comes to life. You recognize the face, it’s Commander Martin. He explains the desperate need for materials for water and fuel and goes over how to operate the control panel. Before the commander signs off, he gives you coordinates and direction as to what you need to collect and reminds you to keep an eye on the fuel gauge…and you are off to complete your first challenge.
Characters/Roles
Inspector Space Ace: A scientist in training who fell asleep at his desk and woke up in outer space.
Commander Martin: appears on a computer screen to give Inspector Space Ace direction for challenges, guidance, and mentorship.
Aeiri: AI GPS device that provides coordinates and more information about destinations and ship’s speed capabilities.
Problems/Tasks/Missions
Operational Tasks:
As Inspector Space Ace players need to perform routine tasks to maintain survival in space. This includes operating the ship, as well as maintaining fuel and supplies.
Life in space poses some challenges that could influence the success of a mission. Learning elements include information about life in space like climate, gravity, and sound. This supportive information may be applied in some challenges.
Leveling Tasks:
Successful progress in the game requires completion of missions which incorporate a variety of tasks.
Foundational mission: learning about the spaceship like fuel, how to fly and how to maintain. In addition, learning about life in space, tools, and game resources. Successful progress will result in moving on to the first exploration challenge.
Exploration missions: calculate path/distance then visit planets to gather gases and materials. This requires deciphering word problems, performing calculations, analyzing information, and making decisions.
Planet challenge: the final step where learning from game play explorations are applied to create a planet.
Descriptions of 3D Environments
Spacecraft
The bottom floor is the engine room. This is where materials are added and then converted into fuel to run the ship. A small metal ladder sits beneath an opening to the next floor. The middle floor is the living area, which includes a sleeping station, galley, kitchen, and hygiene center. Narrow metal steps lead up to a doorway to the top floor. Most actions in the spacecraft will take place on the top floor.
Proceeding through the doorway and down the corridor to find gear used for leaving the spacecraft, like the suit, helmet, and boots. As well as small utility tools used in exploring planets. Just past the main doorway to enter/exit the spacecraft is a small pedestal with the mission control guide, which keeps track of progress on missions, and materials gathered. The corridor ends with a large window view of space above and the control panel underneath.
The control panel has gauges, buttons, switches, and levers used for flying the spacecraft. These include altimeter, velocity, and fuel gauges. Thrust lever, as well as function and mode switches, and abort and warning lights. In the center of the control panel is a large computer screen where Commander Martin appears to give information about challenges and offer mentoring. Mounted to the far-right side of the control panel is the AI GPS named Aeiri. This offers coordinates to destinations, and then projects more information about the destination onto the computer screen.
Basic Sun and Planet Information
For the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune learn:
- Basic planet composition
- Age
- Mass/Gravity
- Atmosphere and gases – for water and fuel
- Mineral Composition – for water and fuel
- Distance from Earth and neighboring planets.
- Interesting planet facts – what makes it different?
What makes earth different from others for sustainable life?
- Distance from sun
- Rotation/Revolution
- Atmosphere
- Water and Land
- Where did the elements and gases came from?
- Asteroids
- Comets
- Volcanoes
Levels and progression
Wake up on the ship and have to determine where you are and why. To determine who you are and your mission, you will use the mission guide, notes, and videos from the commander. Next you will learn to use the ship’s computer to determine where you are and where you need to go next. Relevant information includes facts about space, how to navigate the ship, and how to use your space suit.
Your mission includes visiting various planets to collect information and determine which resources from each planet will help you to create a new planet for your people. However,the ship is low on fuel, which means you have to find and navigate to find elements to make more fuel. You must learn to fly the ship. Thankfully, the ship includes a simulation to help you learn how to steer the ship in space.
Now that you are familiar with flying through space, you need to devise a plan to get fuel and proceed to your next destination. Using maps of space, you will determine the closest planet with available elements and plan a route to get there. Relevant information: description of each planet and its location, distance between planets, trip costs including time and fuel, and how to land the ship.
Now that you have fuel elements, you will plan a route to visit and land on each planet for water elements. Consult the ship’s computer to determine the composition, weather, and gravity of each planet. Use the information to determine where to land on each planet. After landing on each planet, you will collect samples and analyze.
In the final stage of the game, you need to design a planet that can sustain life and use the information/element introduction selectors to make a planet. Although it will take billions of years for the planet to form, by starting the planet in motion, you have fulfilled your mission and helped to save your people.
Cognitive Processes Required for Gameplay
| Remembering | Recall facts about planets and space |
| Understanding | Make observations; Use appropriate equipment and technology |
| Applying | Calculate distance and average speed, Determine a route for travel; Organize and interpret information; Use problem-solving and decision making processes |
| Analyzing | Analyze results and modify future decisions; Formulate a plan for landing and collecting samples on various planets; Analyze the characteristics of objects in space that allow life to exist |
| Evaluating | Evaluate samples and determine their usefulness in creating a new planet |
| Creating | Design a planet that can sustain life |
Skills Required for Gameplay
| Critical Thinking | Players must analyze information and evidence in order to make decisions throughout their mission in space. Players will use information collected throughout their journey to design and start a new planet for their people. |
| Problem Solving | While in space, players will encounter several problems that require them to develop solutions. Players must solve mathematical problems as well as situation-based problems that occur on the ship and in space. |
| Decision Making | Life in space poses several challenges. Players must use relevant information to make informed decisions to ensure they survive and fulfill their mission. |
| Creativity | At the final stage, players will apply their learning and design a planet that can sustain life. |
| Communication | Minimal. Interactions with Commander Martin and Aerie, the AI GPS. |
| Collaboration | Single Player Game-No Collaboration |
| Psychomotor Skills | Minimal. Use keys to move through space, explore planets, collect samples, etc. |
Content Integration
Prior Knowledge: Players should have prior knowledge of science concepts including the solar system, physical properties, and scientific investigation. The game requires players to solve word problems and perform basic mathematical calculations of distance, time and speed.
Academic Content: This game teaches academic content in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Content Integration Strategies and Rationale: The game integrates important science content with other components of STEM education. Academic content is provided through Mission Guides, Commander Martin, Aeiri, and the ship’s computer system. Players are exposed to the various challenges of living and surviving in outer space. As players learn to navigate the ship and travel to other planets, they uncover important science content through their need to look for elements to make both fuel and water. As part of the mission, players select their fuel type and speed along with the distance between each planet to calculate the time needed for travel. As part of the content integration, players learn important characteristics about each planet in the solar system. Players must use the information to determine which planets to visit and what materials to collect on each planet. The materials they collect will help them to make fuel and water. In addition, players will collect other materials that will help them in their final mission, creating a sustainable planet. As players progress through the missions, they analyze evidence and draw conclusions regarding the information that emerges. As players travel from planet to planet, they see the importance of various elements (carbon dioxide, hydrogen, aluminum, and ammonia), space objects (meteors and asteroids), gases, and volcanoes in sustaining life.
Extra Credit/Exercise: Player researches methods to stay alive or sleep for hundreds of years of space travel if only average space travel speeds are achieved.
Engagement Strategies
Various engagement strategies are used within the game. The initial hook for the game is the mystery surrounding why the player is in space. Active role play and the storyline surrounding the mission delivers an extra level of motivation for players by requiring them to analyze information, make decisions, and solve problems that will impact the survival of the people on their home planet. The tasks and challenges presented during the game are attainable but require dedication and critical thinking, giving the player a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. The game provides clear goals and tasks, immediate feedback, and progressive challenges. The game’s 3D environment immerses the players in space and allows them to explore places beyond their reach in the real-world. Interactions with information and the game’s environment allow players to analyze, evaluate, and think critically as they make decisions and determine their course of action, keeping them engaged and on task.
Scaffolding Strategies
The initial scaffolding is provided through Commander Martin. Commander Martin explains the player’s mission and the desperate need for materials to build a new home planet. In addition, Commander Martin explains how to operate the ship’s computer system and control panel. After the initial mission is explained, scaffolding is provided by Commander Martin, mission guides and the ship’s computer system. As the player moves through the game, Commander Martin continues to provide support in the form of guidance, mentorship, and directions for challenges. Aerie, the AI GPS, provides scaffolding support throughout the game by sharing coordinates, dispensing guidance and relaying information regarding locations and travel strategy. In addition to the support provided by Commander Martin and Aerie, the mission guides provide necessary information to help players collect information and make decisions throughout the game.
Assessment Strategies
The game utilizes in-game challenges to assess players as they progress through the various levels of play. Players will complete challenges throughout the game that assess their content area knowledge as well as their ability to make decisions and solve problems. Challenges include deciphering word problems, performing calculations, and analyzing information. In the final stage of the game, players are required to design a planet based on the information collected in the game. A rubric will be used to assess the planet’s ability to sustain life.
Major Purpose of the Game Integration
Instructional Tool: Inspector Space Ace will be used as an engaging primer for instructional unit on our Solar System and challenges of space travel, to level-set students on basic knowledge of our solar system planets, space, and distances. Building a sustainable planet enables the student to build, test and reflect on our the Earth and why it sustains life while the others do not.
Formative Assessment: Challenges and assessments will also serve as a formative assessment for the Space Solar System/Space travel unit.
Implementation Plan
The game will be built to be played within a browser or as an app on any device. Animations and graphics will be vector or .svg for responsive design and different screen aspect ratios and built in Articulate Storyline or similar tool with scenario based architecture that can be converted to browser player and mobile app.
It is possible, the game could be utilized as a platform where other missions could be added to make the game more specific for different instructional needs, for example, studies on gravity, lightspeed, and black holes.
Mission Guide Workbooks and worksheets could be developed to support game and concepts.
Perceived Barriers and Support Needs
Challenges – Challenges include the development, testing, and funding of the game needing resources to build media, program interaction, test, then move the game to browser and app platforms.
Support Needs/Team and Skill Requirements
- Graphic Designer
- 3D Modeler
- Instructional Designer
- Sound/Music creation and editing
- Storyline or other programming/multimedia development
- HTML/CSS/Responsive Design for browser version
- App development and deployment for mobile applications
Funding and Grant Proposals – May be possible to fund project through NSF or other educational grant, therefore, grant application and approval time required.
Reflection on the Assignment
This assignment really stretched my thinking. Since I am not a digital gamer, I had a difficult time wrapping my head around the project and where to start. Thankfully, I wasn’t on my own with this challenge. My team provided a lot of support throughout the game design process. Without them, I would have felt lost and overwhelmed. They helped me to better understand the gaming components, and what we needed to do to complete the challenge and be successful. I learned so much from both of my teammates, and I am very thankful for their expertise.
The template was another valuable resource in completing this challenge. I appreciate how the template was formatted. I knew exactly what instructional components my team and I needed to consider as we built the game. The template provided focus and research guidance as we determined how to integrate content and learning into our game design.
Although I don’t think I will be designing digital games in the future, I did learn a lot about the process and the thinking that goes into game design. I appreciate the work that goes into creating digital games, and I have a new level of respect for game designers.