U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LAUNCHES CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE
In an overwhelming 411–13 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Academic Competition Resolution of 2013, a measure that establishes an annual app design competition for high school and college students.
Intended to stimulate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects, the Congressional App Challenge calls for students to design and program original apps for mobile and online platforms. Lawmakers hope the Challenge will help students develop computer science and creative skills, and encourage them to consider careers in the technology industry.
An expert panel of judges will review each submission and recommend the best designs to elected officials. Based on the panel's guidance, Members of Congress will select a winner from each of their respective congressional districts to be formally honored in Washington, D.C., and have their apps displayed in the U.S. Capitol.
The Congressional Internet Caucus' co-chairs, Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), and a steering committee of app competition experts from the Entertainment Software Association, Google, Blackberry, AT&T, and Motorola Mobility collaborated to plan the competition and advance it through Congress. The Challenge builds on the success of the Congressional Art Competition, which has recognized and encouraged artistic talent among the nation's youth for more than 30 years.
"This competition will serve as a unique opportunity for America's high school and college students in each Congressional District to showcase their capabilities, creativity, and innovative thinking," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), who supported the resolution. "I look forward to the success of the Congressional App challenge and to seeing the creative ideas of America's next generation of innovators."
As lawmakers and businesses seek to strengthen and grow the American workforce, the Congressional App Challenge provides a creative opportunity to motivate student interest in critical high-tech careers and cultivate the next generation of digital entrepreneurs. |
NEW RESEARCH POINT TO HEALTH BENEFITS OF VIDEO GAMES
Two new independent studies demonstrate the potential for computer and video games to enhance players' cognitive functions and increase their overall well-being, bolstering existing research pointing to video games' positive impacts.
In one study, researchers at the University of Padua in Rome found there may be a correlation between playing action video games and improved individual reading levels among children with dyslexia. In the study, published online in Current Biology, researchers directed one group of 10 dyslexic children to play action video games for nine, 80-minute sessions. A separate group of 10 dyslexic children played non-action games for the same amount of time. The researchers measured participants' attention levels and reading skills before and after they played to assess the games' impact.
According to the study, kids who played action games scored significantly higher than those who played non-action games across several measures, including reading speed and accuracy, recognizing words made of random letters, and reaction time. Action game players also scored higher on tests that measured attention by introducing distractions as the children tried to accomplish various visual and auditory tasks.
"Our findings... pave the way for low-resource-demanding early prevention programs that could drastically reduce the incidence of reading disorders," said Dr. Andrea Facoetti, the study's lead researcher.
In another study, researchers at North Carolina State University found elderly video game players demonstrated greater emotional well-being than non-video game players. The study, published online in
Computers in Human Behavior, surveyed 140 people over the age of 63 about their video game habits. Researchers separated study participants into three groups based on their reported game play habits – regular gamers, occasional gamers, and non-gamers – and tested them on a variety of measures to assess emotional and social health. The results showed that those who played games regularly felt happier and more positive, suggesting that game play may promote successful aging.
These and other studies demonstrate that, beyond providing entertainment, today's interactive games can enhance mental functioning, boost well-being, and improve the quality of life for millions of players. |
A GAME A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
Health insurers are leveraging interactive entertainment software to motivate customers to develop and maintain healthy habits, monitor illness, and avoid costly trips to the hospital.
UnitedHealthcare offers several games that reward players for adopting healthy lifestyles. OptumizeMe, available on mobile devices, allows players to compete against friends and family on health and fitness challenges. Players can collaborate on goals, track their progress, wager friendly bets, encourage each other through in-game text messages, and share their results on Facebook. Users can also choose to take on a preloaded challenge or create their own. Challenge winners receive a virtual badge, which they can later redeem for a real-world prize.
In addition, UnitedHealthcare offers
Baby Blocks, an online game designed to reward low-income pregnant women and new mothers for attending regular doctor's appointments. Women who are enrolled in a UnitedHealthcare Community Plan log on to the Baby Blocks website and enter information about their pregnancy – including their due date and physician information – to complete the first "building block." Players then receive reminders to schedule doctor's appointments during important milestones in their pregnancy or baby's infancy, and unlock additional blocks when they attend. Unlocked blocks lead to rewards including baby gear, toys, books, and safety items. Mothers that stay with the program until their babies are 15 months old win more rewards for visiting the doctor.
Insurance provider Humana seeks to motivate youth fitness through play. The company launched
Horsepower Challenge, a PC-based pedometer game that pits middle schools against each other in a virtual race around the globe. In the game, teams of students create horse avatars which ride a virtual school bus driving around the world. The distance the bus travels is determined by how many steps the team of students takes each day, as measured by pedometers. During the game's pilot program at five middle schools in Louisville, KY, students experienced a 13 percent increase in their physical activity.
Humana's Horsepower Challenge game, designed to promote youth fitness
Other games created by health insurance companies help patients prepare for hospital visits; educate healthy people on the dangers and causes of diseases such as diabetes, skin cancer, and obesity; and distract heart disease or cancer patients from pain. Through engaging games, insurers hope to improve customers' health and reduce medical costs and the amount of care needed – results that can strengthen our healthcare system. |
|
Quote of the Month |
"Educators seem to have more tools available to them than ever before, and there's no doubt that, when appropriately utilized, technology has the capacity to enhance the classroom experience… Video games with a core educational component may supplement traditional materials, such as textbooks, and may enable students to improve their understanding of certain subjects."
— Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) – who collaborated with McGraw Hill Education and Muzzy Lane Software to create Government in Action, a multiplayer game that teaches college freshman about American government – on video games' educational potential |
Did You Know? |
The Princeton Review recently released its annual list of top college and university video game design programs in the U.S. According to the rankings, the University of Utah now has the top undergraduate program and the University of Southern California has the top graduate program for video game design. Schools were chosen based on factors including course offerings, faculty credentials, graduate employment, facilities, and financial aid. |
Statistic of the Month |
According to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) latest undercover shopper survey, video game retailers prevented 87 percent of attempted purchases of Mature-rated games by children under the age of 17. This remains an all-time high for the video game industry and exceeds every other entertainment format, including sales of music with parental-advisory labels, R-rated movie tickets, and R-rated and unrated DVDs. |
|
|
|
