Field Day is a research lab at Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin - Madison, that researchers videogames for learning and assessment. Field Day has a diverse portfolio of games ranging from a grade 3 history practices game to a grade 7-9 ecological game as well as 2 platforms that enable other designers and researchers to make mobile games. In total, Field Day games and platforms are used by millions of learners yearly and generate millions of log events daily. Field Day’s research agenda focuses on educational research that benefits from large datasets and educational data mining methods. Current work explores:-Learning Engineering - The adoption of methods such as A/B testing, which is typically associated from the sales and marketing domain, to educational research. -The ability for a game to act as assessments of knowledge, skills and language.-The use of a non-linear science game to develop and validate new theory for science learning progressions using educational data mining.-The ability for games to predict future player actions, such as quitting, and intervene.-The affordances of real-time analytics of game play for classroom intervention.

Along with my Co-Chair, David McHugh and a rotating panel of games and learning expert judges, I coordinate an award program to recognize the best learning games in the world.

Exploring the intersection of educational theory and practice through design based research.

I manage a team of designers, researchers, software engineers and media producers that produce a mobile learning pilots inspired by contemporary learning theory. Program Website: http://mobile.wisc.edu/teaching-and-learningNotable Projects:A field application for identifying prairie grasses and flowers: http://mobile.wisc.edu/teaching-and-learning/field-research-plant-identification-at-the-biocore-prarie/A project design where students create mobile apps to learn about their community, media and self: http://mobile.wisc.edu/teaching-and-learning/learning-through-design-project-digital-litercies/A 3d game to teach thermodynamics: http://mobile.wisc.edu/teaching-and-learning/game-project-thermogame/

Working primarily as part of the ENGAGE (engage.doit.wisc.edu) program, I work to see teaching challenges paired with technology-inspired educational approaches across a variety of themes including Situated Learning, Videogames and Simulations and student produced digital media projects. This work was very diverse, from wrangling the educational research into useful themes to production management with software engineers, artists and educators. Some notable projects include:The Situated Learning Award. http://engage.doit.wisc.edu/sl/The N Game: A game to teach the nitrogen cycle. http://ngame.ifas.ufl.edu/Cool It: A game to teach cryogenics. http://atprod.doit.wisc.edu/coolit/