Martha Hunt, landscape architecture professor:  The goal of this project was to create a video game that educated children about the ecosystems. I spent a lot of time with my nephews who were playing video games, and I've began to see an opportunity there for kids to learn by playing video games. We had to get students in there with the skills that could actually complete making a video game.

Francesca Hernandez, landscape architecture major:  The immersion project is completely different from any other academic experience. The immersion is that you create your own structure so there's a lot a freedom but there's a lot of responsibility. 

Martha Hunt:  Immersion learning I think is much more like being in a workplace setting. You are working with other people on projects. You're not taking tests. They decided pretty early on to have a game that had three mini-games and each mini-game played differently.

Francesca Hernandez:  We looked at wetlands, forests, and prairies and we said, "Well, what are the major threats to these ecosystems?" 

Martha Hunt:  We work specifically with Debra Brown and the second grade ELP (Expanded Learning Program) class at Storer Elementary, and they were basically the people we went to to test the game on.

Deborah Brown, second grade teacher:  My students loved the game and they learned so much. It was exciting for me as a teacher to see how rapidly they picked up what I try to teach them through a simple game. 

Francesca Hernandez:  The second-graders were the best part of the whole project. We started by reading them stories that would be the basis of the games. They were so enthusiastic and so insightful. I don't think that we could have made this game without them.

Martha Hunt:  Well I would hope that the students, after being at the Virginia Ball Center, would go back into the classroom and be stronger students because this isn't the only way to learn, but it should certainly give them the confidence that they are in charge of their learning and that they can succeed in any setting.

Francesca Hernandez:  I think immersion is really an amazing option. We're very fortunate at Ball State to have that option -- not all universities do. The immersive experience is a real taste of what the real world is going to be like. 

Martha Hunt:  If students are interested in immersive learning, I encourage them to check out the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and see if there are other opportunities where they can be a part of a student team to do a specific project.