MIT Graduate Program in Comparative Media Studies

Studying Media and Making Media

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Education Arcade’s science game “Vanished” featured in Boston Globe

Vanished screen capture

Middle schoolers across the country will have the chance to become detectives in two weeks. Scientific detectives, that is.

On April 4, developers at MIT and scientists at the Smithsonian Institution will launch a website called Vanished that will enable middle schoolers to help solve a mystery surrounding an environmental disaster.

The students will be asked to collect data, conduct research, consult peers, and draw conclusions as they try to figure out what happened, and why.

[…]
Vanished was formatted like a game in order to show that failure is OK in science.

“You fail on a game lots of times on your way to succeeding, and then you actually gather the evidence you need from your failures. So we see that kids are more naturally drawn to it,” said Scot Osterweil, a creative director of the education arcade.

Boston Globe—Sparking curiosity by turning students into scientific sleuths

About Andrew Whitacre

Andrew directs the communications efforts for CMS/W and its research groups. A native of Washington, D.C., he holds a degree in communication from Wake Forest University, with a minor in humanities, as well as an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College.

His work includes drawing up and executing strategic communications plans, with projects including website design, social media management and training, press outreach, product launches, fundraising campaign support, and event promotions.