NCSU researchers, Virtual Heroes land $1.5M grant to get serious about games in high schools

GRADUATE could take on a different meaning at North Carolina high schools in the near future if a project now under way proves successful.

Researchers at North Carolina State University are partnering with Research Triangle-based Virtual Heroes to develop a video game they believe will boost science and information technology skills among North Carolina high school students.

Funded by $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation, Virtual Heroes, NCSU’s College of Education and NCSU’s Kenan Institute are developing a videogame program called “Games Requiring Advanced Developmental Understanding and Achievement in Technological Endeavors.”

GRADUATE for short.

Virtual Heroes, founded by military vet and Apache helicopter pilot Jerry Heneghan, is an emerging leader in so-called serious games. His company has worked with the U.S. Army on videogames that train while they entertain. Virtual Heroes also is utilizing virtual reality to help medical students learn through 3D simulation.

This latest project takes Virtual Heroes and the NCSU team into virtual reality and video gaming in an attempt to spark more interest in subjects that led to another acronym – STEM. That’s short for science, technology, engineering and math.

Report after report warns that if the U.S. doesn’t improve STEM learning, the country stands to lose its leadership in technology development. GRADUATE also should help students at a more basic level – helping them earn a high school diploma.

As the researchers noted, in 2010 N.C. high school seniors have to complete a “graduation project.” This requires a research paper, a product, a portfolio and an oral presentation to a panel of advisers and community members for every student.

NCSU and Virtual Heroes will focus initially on 40 teachers and some 150 students at two high schools – Lee Early College in Sanford and Hillside New Tech in Durham. Both schools are focused on STEM efforts in “disadvantaged” rural and urban students.

Len Annetta, an assistant professor of science education at NCSU, is the lead on the project. The researchers will study what impact GRADUATE has on STEM learning at these schools.

Good luck, team. It’s long past time to get more serious about STEM, and GRADUATE could be the answer.