ATEC Wins Multiple Honors for Training Games
Two recent projects developed by research teams within the Arts and Technology (ATEC) program at The University of Texas at Dallas have earned industry awards. One award was presented at the GameTech 2011 Conference in Orlando, Fla., in March for the First Person Cultural Traineror (FPCT), a 3D interactive training game that teaches soldiers the values and norms of Iraqi and Afghan cultures. FPCT was honored for “designing and developing a training process that meets training objectives, engages the learner … Read more
Journal Honors Pioneering ATEC Professor’s Work
Arts and Technology professor and researcher Dr. Mihai Nadin has won the 2010 International Journal of General SystemsBest Paper Award for a work on “Anticipation and Dynamics.” The journal published the paper in January 2010 in an edition devoted entirely to his work. Nadin is the director of antÉ, the Institute for Research in Anticipatory Systems at UT Dallas, and is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the field of anticipation. The discipline studies action as informed not only … Read more
Graduate Game Design Program Ranked in Top 10
Princeton Review Bases University Rankings on Survey of Academics in Field The University of Texas at Dallas has been included in The Princeton Review list of the “Top Schools for Video Game Design Study for 2011,” based on a survey of administrators at 150 schools offering video game design programs or degrees. UT Dallas made the list of top 10 graduate programs for its innovative Arts and Technology (ATEC) program. The Princeton Review – in conjunction with GamePro magazine – started ranking video game design programs … Read more
Prof Draws Social Media Lessons from Egypt’s Revolt
Social media didn’t lead to the recent uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, but this new system of communication certainly played a role in the process of the revolt. Dr. David Parry, assistant professor of Emerging Media and Communication at The University of Texas at Dallas, argues that anInternet-equipped public is substantially different from a non-Internet-enabled one, and that while we haven’t been deluded by the Internet’s possibilities, we ought to be careful not to overestimate them. “What happened in Egypt and Tunisia … Read more
Game Creators Have Designs on Making Learning Fun
UT Dallas Teams Enter Their Educational Video Games into National Contest Two teams of Arts and Technology (ATEC) and Computer Science students from The University of Texas at Dallas have entered the first annual National STEM Video Game Challenge. Could Playing Video Games at School Help Kids Learn More? Dr. Tom Linehan, director of Arts and Technology (ATEC) at UT Dallas, discusses the possibilities of using electronic games in education in an intervew on the KERA-FM show Think. Inspired by … Read more
Virtual Medical World Has Real-Life Value
Researchers from UT Dallas and the UT Arlington College of Nursing have created a virtual environment where graduate students can train online for the medical challenges that await them in the real world. NursingAP.com is designed to help Advanced Practice Nursing students hone critical skills interactively, on their own schedules via distance learning. “Medical simulation offers the potential to be critical technology for many reasons,” says Dr. Marjorie Zielke, assistant professor of Arts and Technology (ATEC) at UT Dallas and … Read more
ATEC Students Unveil 2nd Game About Life Lessons
With the launch of its second serious game, the UT Dallas Values Game Initiative once again hopes to provoke deep discussions and morality checks. Endless Life, created by gaming students in the UT Dallas Arts and Technology (ATEC) program, presents a humorous view of what life-extending technology could do to a society. The game made its debut online Nov. 15. “As science and technology allow us to extend our lives indefinitely, how will we deal with the monotony of everyday … Read more
Learning Communities Pay Multiple Dividends
Year After Debut, Residence Hall Groups Get High Marks from Students, Staff When the University Village residence hall opened in fall 2009, the 148,000-square-foot building offered more than just private bedrooms and ping-pong tables: It allowed a space for like-minded collegians to congregate under one roof and study, volunteer and have fun together. These new Living Learning Communities—in which small groups of select freshmen who live in the hall and share common academic goals or interests— turned out to benefit students in other … Read more
EMAC Prof Challenges Old School News Approaches
Go digital or go home. That was the message Dr. Dave Parry, assistant professor of Emerging Media and Communication (EMAC) at UT Dallas, told an audience of journalists at the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW), held Sept. 22–25 in Dallas. UT Dallas was a sponsor of the event, which included an appearance by Gov. Rick Perry and a keynote address by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. In a session titled, “Emerging Media: What Works, What Doesn’t: How You Can Get Ahead … Read more
Now Playing: Thought-Provoking Video Games
Parents tend to scoff at video games for turning brains to “mush.” But game design students at The University of Texas at Dallas are creating games of introspection and intellect that serve as jumping-off points for deeper, more nuanced thinking about life choices. The Values Game Initiative is a project intended to create and develop serious games that further the mission and themes of the Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology at UT Dallas. These games are designed … Read more
