Anthony Dean

SiGMA: A software framework for integrating advanced mathematical capabilities in serious game development

Abstract As games become more popular as an educational tool, an imbalance exists in the number of mathematics games that have been developed when compared to the number of games developed for other fields. Part of the reason for this gap can be attributed to the difficulty of symbolic manipulation and display of complex equations and graphs. To alleviate this, SiGMA, a symbolic toolkit for gaming mathematics, has been developed. This paper discusses the design and implementation of SiGMA, which has been utilized in a series of games developed as part of the Stern2STEM program that strives to assist military veterans on their path toward STEM degrees. This paper also reviews existing mathematics software and tools and presents game examples that utilized the SiGMA toolkit.

A Framework for Designing Smarter Serious Games

As smart technology becomes more ubiquitous, there are increased opportunities to enhance the way that educational content is presented and practiced. There are numerous studies indicating the importance of combining instructional and game design in the process of developing serious games. However, there are no frameworks or processes that have been developed to provide insight on methods for effectively combining these existing design methodologies. To this end, a modular framework has been developed with an accompanying spiral design process that facilitates the design, development, and continued improvement of smarter serious games. The implementation of this framework will be explored through an evolving serious game developed using the framework that is aimed to teach precalculus at the college level.

An Economic Model for the Maintenance of a Device Submitted to Minor and Major Repairs

Preventive maintenance has been a mainstream strategy to keep equipment and machinery going. In this paper a Markov model is used to characterize the performance of a continuously operating device that is subject to random failure as well as failure generated by deterioration. The optimum preventive maintenance of this device is based not only on its maximum availability but also on the consideration of the total cost of operation and maintenance against a backdrop of replacement cost. The economic model proposed in this paper provides a more complete decision process to determine when to replace it even while the device is maintained optimally.Copyright