Speaking to New York University faculty and students today, Craig Mundie, chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft Corp., unveiled details about a first-of-its-kind, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional gaming research alliance that will provide the fundamental scientific evidence to support games as learning tools for math and science subjects among middle-school students. The Games for Learning Institute (G4LI) is a joint research endeavor of Microsoft Research, New York University and a consortium of universities. The partners include Columbia University, the City University of New York (CUNY), Dartmouth College, Parsons, Polytechnic Institute of NYU, the Rochester Institute of Technology and Teachers College. The G4LI will identify which qualities of computer games engage students and develop relevant, personalized teaching strategies that can be applied to the learning process. “Technology has the potential to help reinvent the education process, and excite and inspire young learners to embrace science, math and technology,” Mundie said. “The Games for Learning Institute at NYU is a great example of how technology can change how students learn, making it far more natural and intuitive.”

Games for Learning Institute Builds on Previous Efforts NYU and Microsoft Research bring years of experience in gaming for learning to the joint endeavor. NYU offers deep insight into the design principles that make effective educational games; innovative research methods to study the impact of digital media on learning; and frontline experience in integrating these materials into both classrooms and informal learning settings. Through its Gaming Initiative, since 2004 Microsoft Research has invested more than $3 million in gaming kits, assessment studies, academic funding and an academic sponsored event, the Academic Games and Computer Science Game Cruise. Last year, six academic researchers received funding and had access to game-related resources available from Microsoft including Visual Studio, XNA Game Studio and Microsoft “Flight Simulator” ESP. The G4LI will build on these efforts to help improve middle-school math and science skills. More information on Microsoft Research is available at http://www.research.microsoft.com.