Authored by Algernon D’Ammassa
One of the animators at NMSU’s Learning Games Lab works on the “skeletal” structure used to animate a character for an educational game under development at the Las Cruces campus.
LAS CRUCES BULLETIN PHOTO BY ALGERNON D’AMMASSA
The Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University typically conducts its work discreetly. A team of skilled illustrators and animators collaborates on screens in a dimly lit room on the Las Cruces campus. However, there are also lively days when children are welcomed into the lab’s inviting meeting room, adorned with warm colors, carpeted walls, and large screens, to evaluate and provide feedback on video games in progress.
Barbara Chamberlin, the leader of the university’s Innovative Media Research and Extension department, underscores that the lab’s endeavors are, quite literally, an extension of the institution’s service mission as a land grant university. Their goal is to address problems and enhance lives within the community.
Specializing in the development of games, apps, and virtual reality presentations primarily for educational and professional training purposes, the Learning Games Lab exemplifies this commitment. For instance, the “Math Snacks” game series emerged from research into the challenges faced by middle school students in math. Discovering that inadequate mastery of core concepts from previous school years was a significant issue, the lab developed games to review and reinforce these foundational ideas. With support from NMSU’s Arrowhead Center, these games were adopted by educational game distributor Game Learning last year.
Chamberlin emphasizes that the lab’s technologies cater to diverse learning styles, acknowledging that individuals process information differently. She states, “Our job is to figure out the thing that you can’t learn by just reading about it.”
Barbara Chamberlin and Matheus Cezarotto of New Mexico State University’s Innovative Media Research and Extension department are seen in the testing room of the Learning Games Lab.
LAS CRUCES BULLETIN PHOTO BY ALGERNON D’AMMASSA
The lab, funded partly through NMSU’s extension service and project-based grants, creates games that cover topics such as food safety and financial literacy. Leveraging the engaging structures and rewards of video games, these projects aim to instill concepts and counteract potentially unreliable information obtained from family members.
One ongoing virtual reality project intends to assist dietitians in practicing interactions with patients facing challenging diagnoses and treatment regimens. This immersive experience allows professionals to hone interpersonal skills and behaviors in a realistic simulated environment.
With a team of 28 individuals, including students and professional game developers, the Learning Games Lab handles nearly every aspect of its projects internally. Matheus Cezarotto, the lab’s coordinator, underscores that each project is research-driven, from identifying the problem to designing the games. He explains, “There’s some liberty in being creative, creating characters, but it’s all informed by research.”
