Design, Learning and Collaboration - Project Presentation Evaluation of AgentSheets Johnnathan Lansing Gary Knoll Laoleng Xiong Keisuke Nishimoto

Agenda Introduction Analysis of AgentSheets –Creator’s perspective –As a design environment –Teacher’s perspective –End-user’s perspective Demo - Game of Life in 10 min

Introducton What are the problems? –Concepts of physics are sometimes difficult to understand for kids –Requires good visualization and interaction –Hence the games (or interactive simulations)

Interactive Simulations Example: Physics Education Technology (PhET) in CU Physics Department

Interactive Simulation + EUD Then, how can teachers utilize the benefits of interactive simulations? Better way would be to integrate the knowledge of teachers and technologies -> AgentSheets!

Agenda Introduction Analysis of AgentSheets –Creator’s perspective –As a design environment –Teacher’s perspective –End-user’s perspective Demo - Game of Life in 10 min

Creation of AgentSheets Create simulations and educational games “Create SimCity in 10 minutes” Low threshold, high ceiling Idea from raw spreadsheets –Put more than numbers in cells

Users of AgentSheets Anyone who wishes to create simulations/games –With no programming expertise –AgentSheets designed to pass the “Pac- Man test” Children tend to learn more quickly –More curious, play around with it

Future of AgentSheets AgentSheets tends to get positive feedback –Experienced programmers sometimes find it a bit limiting though Currently working on AgentCubes –Brings AgentSheets model into 3D

Relation to Learning Mix between formal and informal learning It’s hard to learn anything formally without knowing why you are learning it School hinders children’s natural curiosity –Makes it harder for people to learn when they grow up

AgentSheets as a Design Environment Completely graphical programming –Key concept: Agent Corresponds to a cell in spread sheet apps Represents anentitiy in a simulation Has state and behaviors –Programming is done by defining the behaviors of Agent “If A, do B” Both condition and action are represented graphically.

Similarity of Agent and Object (in OO languages) AgentObject StateMember variables BehaviorMethod/Message Both are meant to fill the gap between “reality” and “model” The concept should be easy to understand for experienced programmers and beginners.

Drawbacks of AgentSheets as an design environment Code is completely eliminated –Difficult to constract complicated behaviors –Users can’t learn how a corresponding code looks like ( VBA in MS Office) If element of coding is added, AgentSheets could be a “tool for learning” as well as a “tool for living”

Agent Sheets in Schools Agent sheets provides the ability to use visual learning/participation techniques to concepts that physical demonstrations are unavailable. –Model proton electron interaction –Population effects on a model city –Spread of a virus through a population

Teaching and Agent Sheets Agent Sheets allows teachers to: –Have classroom activities for topics that hands on activities/experiments do not apply –Create interactive simulations that can be made fun for students with the use of sounds and animation –Keeps students engaged throughout subjects are generally less hands on oriented

Willingness of Teachers Using our interview with Alice a middle school science teacher as a point of reference Learning curve of AS is shallow enough to use Students respond best in an environment with hands on activities or experiments Alice saw many uses for Agent Sheets, not only in science, but also in social studies and other subjects.

End User’s Perspective Testing with two High School students. One a Freshman, the other a Senior. Freshman student has no civil engineering experience. Senior has taken several Engineering and Civil Engineering courses. Goal: Test the interface of AgentSheets.

Bridge Builder Graphical User Interface Similar to Paint –Draw, Erase, Select Tool, etc. Basic Canvas with Run, Stop, Advance. User message box.

Bridge Builder Problems with GUI –Not very intuitive. –User must switch between Draw and Erase –Allows strange behavior ie. objects in strange positions

Tester Feedback Freshman “If I knew what all the icons mean then it would’ve been better.” Senior “I kind of disliked that everything was in blocks, I couldn’t build a suspension bridge.”

Agent Sheets Test Summary Senior tester relied on previous course knowledge –Referred to “Dead Weight” and suspension support. –Had understanding for “Arch” concept. Freshman tester was more abstract –Did unconventional things, like filling valley. –Tried making geometric shapes like triangles.

Agenda Introduction Analysis of AgentSheets –Creator’s perspective –As a design environment –Teacher’s perspective –End-user’s perspective Demo - Game of Life in 10 min

Questions?