Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project supported the development of immersive learning platforms using video games for undergraduate students enrolled in food science courses. The main product of this project is an immersive video game on brewing. The video game, involving various scientific disciplines important in brewing, was used in teaching food processing principles in two courses. First was a laboratory course taught to senior-level undergraduate students at the University of California, Davis. In February 2012, 47 students used the video game as one of the homework assignments. The game was accessible on personal computers using compact discs. The students were quizzed before and after they used the game to determine their level of comprehension of selected scientific principles inherent in the game. Their feedback on the navigation and related user functions was used to further modify and improve the game. The second major activity involved using the same immersive game via the Internet for use by 35 students enrolled in a senior-level food processing course (November 2011) at the Ohio State University. Again the students used the game to learn various scientific principles of brewing, including fermentation, chemistry, and engineering. The feedback from the students allowed the game developer to make appropriate changes in the program to make it more readily accessible via the Internet. The underlying concepts of using immersive platforms in teaching food science and engineering were presented at a meeting of the participating agricultural experiment station representatives of NC-1023 in Hawaii in October 2011 and at the International Conference on Engineering and Food, Athens, Greece, May 2011. PARTICIPANTS: Kevin Kostlan (Undergraduate Assistant) Annied Dai (Graduate Research Assistant) Guava Games (a video game developer company) TARGET AUDIENCES: Students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in food science, fermentation science, and food engineering. And, practicing professionals in the food industry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Although initially we were hoping to develop video games for other food processing sectors (such as a dairy and a cannery), we decided to focus on brewing as it encompasses most of the processes that are inherent in other food processing sectors. This allowed us to develop a comprehensive simulation of brewing beer with most physical, chemical and thermal operations that one observes in dairies and canneries. We were also able to create an additional video game-based product, namely a brewery plant tour. This product was an outcome of feedback from students who used our earlier versions of the game. The structure of the game and simulations are now available and they can be adapted for other food processing examples such as a dairy, cannery, and a fruit juice processing plant.
Impacts
The impact of using the immersive learning platforms in teaching food science and engineering was determined by using the video game developed in this project in teaching food science students. While students in their undergraduate curriculum take myriads of courses, they get few opportunities to coalesce what they have learnt from divergent courses in solving a given problem or critically evaluate a given process. With the video game on brewing, with its diverse content in chemistry, microbiology and engineering, it is possible to incorporate these topics in solving engaging problems and evaluate alternative solutions. To measure changes in students understanding of selected principles, quizzes and surveys were used before and after they played the video game in a course on food processing. Results from these quizzes demonstrated that significant learning took place when the game was available in a user-friendly and engaging environment so that students could focus on the underlying principles. These surveys were also useful in further improving and modifying the game for multipurpose use. For example, it was discovered that one could use a modified version of this game as an effective replacement of the traditional plant tours that are becoming difficult to arrange due to economic constraints. The impact of this approach is now possible with the Internet-version of this game.
Publications
- Singh, R.P. 2012. Food Engineering Education in the Digital Age. Proceedings of ICEF11, International Congress on Engineering and Food, Athens, Greece (accessed on October 17, 2012, http://www.icef11.org/main.phpfullpaper&categ=SM3)
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The food processing plant simulation developed in this project took advantage of game technology in a compelling and engaging manner, specifically the creation of an immersive environment. This allows for contextual alignment, as the user is presented with high fidelity models and animated procedures virtually identical to the real world. It allows for the simulated activities and animations to take advantage of the simulation's ability to compress time and scale. In this way, many food processing trials can take place in much less than real time, allowing the user to learn by doing. The following description is of BeerIsland a computer video game developed to teach College level students various aspects of brewing. A student discovers the principles of food science/engineering as applied in a real-world setting of a brewery. For the brewery simulation, the following groupings of the processing steps were treated as game levels, including: Level One: Selection of ingredients, namely, water, barley, hops and yeast; Level Two: Malting kiln, Milling, Mashing and Extract Separation; Level Two: Hop Addition and Boiling, Removal of Hops and Precipitates; Level Three: Cooling and Aeration; Level Four: Fermentation, Separation of Yeasts; Level Five: Aging, Maturing and Packaging. For each Level, pedagogical elements were incorporated with different levels of challenge. In simulating a brewery, we observed that it is easy to incorporate multidisciplinary topics. Engaging questions from various fields of study representing a typical undergraduate curriculum in food science may be included, for example, production agriculture, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, engineering/processing technologies, sensory science, marketing, ethics, and social relevance. For example, in brewing beer, the chemistry and microbiology of water is of vital importance, the game features are used to walk around an island and seek an appropriate source of water. In the immersive game simulations, activities and problems are presented as: Interactive pop-up window to display screen content; Animation or dynamic activity occurring in the virtual space with instructions and feedback display; Scene change to macro-molecular view of stages in beer making. The game aspect of these learning platforms is to navigate oneself to different parts of the island to source various ingredients for brewing, namely, water, barley and hops. The immersive environment also allows for multi-user play, where students can operate in teams from remote locations. It also invites further development in the educational community as many of the tools and models can be repurposed for other educational requirements such as creating new food processing plants (dairy, cannery, winery, and meat processing). Finally, the 3D maps and models can be used with the technology of Computer Assisted Virtual Environments (CAVE) when that highly anticipated technology becomes more mainstream. PARTICIPANTS: R. Paul Singh (PI), Annie Dai (Graduate Research Assistant), Kevin Kostlan (undergraduate student), Guava Games (a video game developer company) TARGET AUDIENCES: Students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in food science, fermentation science, and food engineering. In addition, practicing professionals in the food industry. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The BeerIsland game has been used twice in a class room with 55 students enrolled in a food engineering laboratory course. Student feedback was used to modify the game. Currently, new animations are being incorporated. During Winter quarter 2012, this game will be again used in a class room with about 50 students and the efficacy of using immersive learning vs regular podium teaching will be evaluated. After any necessary modifications, the game will be made available on the Internet to the food engineering educators. In the development of this game we have used the expertise of professional game developers. The high fidelity of the 3 dimensional objects makes this an intriguing immersive environment for students.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10
Outputs
For food safety, it is essential that the workforce in a modern food industry be fully versed in how various hazards that create unsafe situations proliferate in a food processing plant. In a typical food science curriculum, students learn the basic microbiology and chemistry of such hazards; they often do not get any meaningful opportunity to synthesize such topics in a setting that mimics a food processing plant. The goal of this study is to develop computer-based immersive learning platforms of selected food processing plants that provide highly engaging contents to enhance student learning. A processing plant simulation of a brewery is created as a video game using software Maya, Flash, and Unity. The key elements of this simulation include: selection of water source, evaluation of barley and hops, malting, kilning, brew house operations, and packaging. For each segment of the simulation, student interaction involves science-based questions and problem solving approaches to develop relevant solutions. The user is given full control to navigate through various steps of the processing operations. The responses to questions are given an appropriate score. The video game is set up for use over the Internet and it is platform-independent. The Virtual Brewery allows a user to "walk" on an island where the first task is to find an appropriate source of water. Different water sources are seen: river, lake, and ground water. The user takes a sample of the water and obtains a chemical analysis. Various aspects of water testing and interpretation of results for brewing applications are presented and the user makes an appropriate choice. Next, the user is guided to a seaport where ships are bringing loads of barley. At a receiving dock, the user then analyzes samples of barley. Tests include germination and other analysis to accept or reject an incoming load. Similarly, hops are obtained from a farm growing hops. The user is also presented in depth details about barley and hops via slide show, as well as animations to describe the barley kernel structure. The user then walks to the malting section where equipment is displayed and using animations, the user learns about malting and its importance in brewing. Similar experiences are incorporated in the mashing, fermentation and packaging areas of the brewery. At each station, multimedia displays including slides, short movie clips, and cutaway views of equipment are presented. At various stations, quizzes are posted, that user must take before proceeding to the next station. A beta version of the game was used in a laboratory course (ABT110L) in Spring quarter (2010) to obtain student feedback (Number of respondents: 53). Based on the feedback received from students, a second version of the brewery game is now under construction. It will be used in teaching during the Winter quarter (2011). Additional feedback from the students will be used to make any necessary modifications in the final version. PRODUCTS: A preliminary version of the video game has been developed. A revised version, based on student feedback, is currently under construction. OUTCOMES: A video game of a food processing plant (brewery) will be available on the Internet, it will allow students to learn various topics of food science as they are engaged in playing the game. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The video game will be available on the Internet. A poster at the Institute of Food Technologists meeting will be used to disseminate the results of this project. Additional venues will be selected for dissemination. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Based on what we have learned in this project, we will proposed a future proposal to further enhance student engagement in learning food science.
Impacts
The impacts of the project will be known only after the game is made available on the Internet. So far, 53 students enrolled in a food engineering laboratory course at University of California, Davis, have used a preliminary version of the video game to learn brewing related topics.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/01/08 to 08/31/09
Outputs
The educational simulation, in the form of a video game, being developed in this project is about brewing. During the first twelve months of the project, we have created a design document that incorporates all game elements. The overall premise is to figuratively build a processing plant (brewery) and complete production of beer from site selection and raw materials through operation and quality analysis of the product. The content is presented in chunks of information, or chapters organized into topics. Chapters are represented as terrains, or islands. Topics are analogous to areas of activities, or atoms. The student-user navigates the terrain and encounters areas of activities. Information essential to the completion of activities in the terrain is presented in the environment and at the active site areas. Game Objects are employed by the student-user to complete learning interactions: 1)Lab; for performing various tests of water, barley and wort; 2) Controller; for running different pieces of brewing equipment; 3) Viewer; for macro and microscopic animations; 4)Calculations; whiteboard for interacting with expressions. Administrative Objects are used by the student-user for other interactions including keeping score. Learning Elements: Level One: Raw Materials: Terrain description: The terrain includes different sites with the water sources to be tested. Decisions are made based on the tests, and other natural and man-made structures in the area of the water source. At least one of the water sources will be completely unusable. The other sources will have a unique beer style associated with the appropriate water composition revealed by the testing. Included will be water composition from the major types of brewing water found around the world and the beer brewed in that region. Level Two: Malting - Barley biochemistry and process: The student's objective is to prepare the barley for malting and then run the barley through the malting process. The student will be able to control the malting equipment. The Controller includes moisture and temperature sensors, timer, and heat control. The Viewer is an animation of macroscopic and microscopic views of a single barley kernel. With animation and graphics, the student will be able to view the modifications of the barley kernel during the malting process. Level Three: Mashing or Turning Raw Barley and Water into Wort: The student first attends the Milling of the Malted Barley. Settings for the Mill are discussed and simple controls need to be set for the milling animation. Infusion Mash is discussed and a Best Practice quiz is presented on different types of mash methods. Level Four: Fermentation: The student will attend the boiling kettle. The Viewer will give a macroscopic picture of the kettle. Filtration and Bottling: The Student attends a Filtration device with a Viewer of the particles and filter meshes. The Student calculates pressure and flow rates and sets the proper amount of temperature and pressure for carbonation. The final step is packaging. We are now focused on creating all elements and writing the code to activate various steps described in this report. PRODUCTS: Products of this project will be available only at the end of the project. OUTCOMES: The outcomes will be a video game of a brewery operation. This will be available at the end of the project. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: None at this stage. FUTURE INITIATIVES: These will be developed after the project is completed.
Impacts
These will be provided at the end of project.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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