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The activity is a class game where
groups of students are competing against
each other. The game lasts about 70-80
minutes, and consists of:
- Video drama sequences where students
(in mission control) follow 'live'
the progress of their field agents
in a haunted, disused factory.
- Experimental and decision-making
challenges, where groups compete
to, for example, construct simple
pieces of equipment that the agents
need.
Ghost in the machine is a
'learning adventure game' designed
to be straightforward for a teacher
to operate, with one computer and
a big display screen. It is played
with the class as a whole, not by
individuals with their own machines.
The resource files consist of:
- The game software.
- Teacher information (the first
screen of the software) - a 'quick
tour', and 'teaching point diagrams'
screens for recapping the learning.
- Pupil sheets for the challenges
and homework.
- Teacher and technician notes.
Browse this CD ROM and open the 'sycd'
folder. Within 'sycd' you wil find
the folder 'gitm'. This should be
copied from the CD ROM to your hard
disk before playing. The game will
not work properly from the CD ROM
because full screen video files are
very large.
Ghost in the machine begins
with a team set up screen. Then 'live
TV links' introduce the field agents
and the mission, and show their progress
through the haunted factory. When
they find a broken 'ghost detector',
the pupils are set their first experimental
challenge - to repair it. It is a
problem solving task to assemble the
basic electromagnetic induction circuit.
Further challenges include using a
motor as a dynamo, and analysing magnetic
field and current data.
There is an option to finish the
game in a later lesson, or to preview
any part of it in advance.
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