The game, called Racing Academy, calls for players to design parts of a racing car, including the engine, gearbox and tyres.
Results from the exercise are now being analysed by engineers and psychologists at the University of Bath to see how useful or effective the technique could be to undergraduate students.
Mechanical Engineering Director of Learning & Teaching, Dr Jos Darling, commented: “The game has been designed so that the emphasis is on the engineering rather than the driver’s skill. We also test their engineering knowledge before and after the game.
“We found that the game not only motivated the students to learn about engineering, but also helped team-building within the tutor group, which is really important in the first year.”
The project, which was funded by the Information Systems Committee (JISC) and the University of Bath Teaching Development Fund, has won the Best Application of Gaming & Simulation to Learning Prize at the IMS Global Learning Awards 2009.
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Date Published: June 17, 2009
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