Press

Computer game aims to boost middle-school interest in math

Scott Laidlaw — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:46:03 +0000

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

April 28th, 2010 @ 10:15pm

By Sarah Dallof

SALT LAKE CITY -- Math and middle school students sometimes don't mix as well as parents and educators would like. One former teacher set out to change that by creating an educational computer game.

"Ko's Journey" follows a Native American girl whose village has been attacked. Guided by her spirit grandfather, she must solve a number of problems to get to safety and reunite with her family.

"Once you have them involved in a way where their imagination is engaged, they're hooked," explains lead game designer Scott Laidlaw.

Laidlaw was teaching middle school when he first learned students were performing dismally on state tests. "They had a 28 percent likelihood of passing," he remembers.

He quickly realized his students learned better when lessons were tied in with real-life and historical situations, so he started coming up with games for the classroom. He saw an 80 percent improvement on the tests.

"Ko's Journey" has taken years to design, develop and test. The tasks Ko undertakes involve algebra and geometry, among other skills. In one instance, Ko must travel in the dark. Students help her find the North Star using a Cartesian coordinate system. In another, her wolf pup is hurt. Students calculate ratios to make medicine.

"She's experiencing things you'll need to know for the rest of your life," says "Ko's Journey" communication manager Deborah Evans. "I think the kids can connect to that at this level and realize how important these skills are."

So far schools in California, Virginia, Tennessee and New York have purchased the game. Student and game tester Grace Vesely says she'd love to see it in her school.

"I think it would be so much fun to have just something different, even once a week," she said.

E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com

Imagine Education Releases Ko’s Journey

Scott Laidlaw — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:35:59 +0000

Imagine Education Releases Ko’s Journey

Middle-school math curriculum comes to life through online, story-based experience

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — April 21, 2010 — Imagine Education proudly announces the release of their premier StoryPlaying experience, Ko’s Journey, an online mathematics workbook aimed at improving middle-school test results.

Designed for home and classroom use, Ko's Journey supports national middle-school math curriculum, ranging from simple functions such as multiplication and division to calculating area, understanding graphs and comprehending pre-algebra concepts. Ko's Journey provides a motivating and effective learning environment for 5th to 8th grade students to learn core math concepts through an interactive, story-based approach.

“We need educational products that go beyond teaching just factual information and go into the deep interconnections between subjects and community.” said Scott Laidlaw, Director for Imagine Education. Jennifer Harris, Financial and Creative Advisor for Imagine Education, added, “With a truly thoughtful approach, the student's emotional relationship to math is formed on a foundation of purpose."

Visit www.kosjourney.com to learn more.

About Imagine Education

Founded by former teacher, Scott Laidlaw, Ed.D, Imagine Education creates virtual worlds in which students learn wide-ranging mathematic skills through interactive story. Engaging characters, exciting adventures, and challenging middle-school level math content entice the imagination, forever changing student’s relationship to the subject. Proven to raise state test scores while complimenting established curriculum, teachers and parents alike can depend on Imagine Education's StoryPlaying experiences to stimulate learning and instill fundamental comprehension.

For more information about Imagine Education’s products and teaching philosophy, contact Imagine at 1-801-657-1035 or contact us online at www.imagineeducation.org.

Math Better Than Recess? ABC 4

Scott Laidlaw — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:46:48 +0000

The link below will take you to ABC's Utah Channel 4 website to see a bit of footage about Empires. Made as a relatively challenging game for 7th grade students, the web-based architecture of the game was created by Loren Johnson of Venado Partners, Ltd. and has a really brilliant classroom application.