Maryland Public Television Names FableVision as Development Partner for Gaming-Meets-Classroom Endeavor

Maryland Public Television Names FableVision as Development Partner for Gaming-Meets-Classroom Endeavor

OWINGS MILLS, Md., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Maryland Public Television (MPT) has selected FableVision, Inc., an internationally acclaimed educational media producer and publisher, as the new development team for a groundbreaking online math and literacy game, focusing at the pre-algebra level. FableVision is collaborating with MPT and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to produce the software game, which will initially be available online at Thinkport.org. The curriculum-focused game will serve students in upper elementary and middle school grades and support state and national standards.

"We are thrilled to work with such an outstanding group whose mission in creating innovative educational media aligns so closely to ours," said Gail Porter Long, Senior Vice President, Chief Education Officer, MPT.

The game is part of MPT's Learning Games To Go initiative, the centerpiece of a $15 million grant awarded from the U.S. Department of Education Star Schools program. Tasked with using games as a gateway to improving math and literacy skills, MPT and FableVision are joined in this project by game designers and theorists from MIT's renowned Education Arcade.

"Together we will bring the power of gaming to the classroom and move the performance meter," shares Paul Reynolds, FableVision's President.

MPT's dynamic K-12 educational supersite http://www.thinkport.org/ will serve as the online entry point to the game, which will invite students on an interactive quest. Students will embark on an interactive journey through a challenging maze full of mythical creatures, adventures and puzzles. Leveraging the best in game theory research, the online software is being designed to engage today's digital-native youth with rich graphics, storytelling, and compelling interactivity. Plans also include a portion of the game to be accessible on mobile technology devices.

A primary goal of the project is to see if the inherent allure of gaming can map onto learning in the classroom. Teachers from several Maryland school districts and a distinguished advisory board of education experts will provide active participation throughout the production and testing process. A rigorous longitudinal research study is also being conducted by independent research group ORC Macro International to measure the efficacy of this gaming- meets-classroom approach.

Additional projects under MPT's Learning Games To Go initiative will be developed with partners at Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education and the Applied Physics Lab.

Follow the progress of the Learning Games To Go initiative at the project website Got Game? http://www.thinkport.org/technology/gotgame/default.tp.

Catch podcasts with creators from MIT and FableVision at http://www.thinkport.org/technology/gotgame/doandview/podcast.tp.

Maryland Public Television is a not-for-profit, state-licensed public television station, which serves the citizens and communities of Maryland, and beyond through a variety of broadcast and non-broadcast activities to fulfill MPT's mission to educate, enlighten and entertain. http://www.mpt.org/pressroom.

FableVision (http://www.fablevision.com/) is a on a 200-year mission to bring the world to a better place through media, storytelling and technology. With offices in Boston, Portland, Oregon and London, the FableVision team enjoys an international reputation for its unique brand of innovative, technology-delivered storytelling and learning, which include K-12 software product offerings distributed around the globe.

MPT and its partners will support this project by providing research, training, technical facilities and expert consultation, the delivery of digital resources on Thinkport.org and broadcast of reading and math programs totaling $9,073,353 thereby contributing 38% to the total project cost with the U.S. Department of Education contributing 62% to the total project cost.

Source: Maryland Public Television

CONTACT: Betsy Peisach, MPT, +1-410-581-4042, E-mail:
betsypeisach@mpt.org

Web site: http://www.mpt.org/
http://www.mpt.org/pressroom
http://www.thinkport.org/

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