NERDS Project
New Educational Resources
Developed by Students
Carlotta Eaton,
Professor of IT
Dave Filer,
Assistant Professor of IT
April 2011
Eaton
1
Agenda
NERDS Project Team
 NRCC IT/CS Degrees
 NERDS Work Experience Center

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Eaton
PC Repair Services
Network Services
Web Design Services
Certification Testing Center
NRCC Games Development Center
Partners
2
NERDS Project Team
Carlotta Eaton
Professor, Information Technology
Director, Game Technology Programs
New River Community College
Email: ceaton@nr.edu
Phone: (540) 674-3600 x4250
www.nr.edu/eaton and www.nr.edu/it
Dr. Dave Filer
Assistant Professor, Information Technology
New River Community College
Email: dfiler@nr.edu
Phone: (540) 674-3600 x4272
Eaton & Dunleavy
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Information Technology
& Computer Science
Degree Programs
Eaton
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NRCC IT / CS Programs
AAS Degrees – Associates in Applied Science
 Information Technology
 IT Computer Graphics & Web Design Spec.
 IT Game Design Spec.
 IT Network & Technical Support Spec.
AA&S Degrees – Associates in Arts & Science
 Engineering - Computer Science Spec
 General Studies – Computer Science Spec
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Industry Certifications
Required Certification Exam
Course
CIW Site Development Associate
ITD 110 Web Page Design I
CIW Internet Business Associate
ITN 101 Intro to Network Concepts
CIW Network Tech Associate
ITN 101 Intro to Network Concepts
CompTIA A+ Essentials
ITN 106 PC Operating Systems
CompTIA A+ Technician
ITN 107 PC Hardware &
Troubleshooting
CompTIA Network+
ITN 115 Windows Server
CompTIA Security+
ITN 260 Networking Security Basics
Adobe Photoshop ACA
ITD 112 Creating Web Graphics
Adobe Dreamweaver ACA
ITD 210 Web Page Design II
Adobe Flash ACA
ITD 212 Interactive Web Design
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NRCC Game Curriculum
First Game programs in Virginia - 2 degrees CADD & IT
Started in Fall 2006
 ITD 120 Design Concepts for Mobile Applications (iPhone,
ObjectiveC)
 CSC 200 Intro to CS (Python, Lego Robotics)
 ITP 160 Intro to Game Design & Development (GameMaker)
 ITP 134 C++.NET Programming (DarkGDK)
 ITP 120/220 Java I and II Programming
 ITD 112 Creating Web Graphics
(Photoshop)
 ITD 212 Interactive Web Design (Flash)
 CAD 238/239 3D Modeling (3D Studio Max)
 CAD 250 3D Game Level Design (UnReal)
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NERDS Project
New Educational Resources
Developed by Students
Eaton
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NERDS Project Components
Work Experience Center
1. PC Repair Services
2. Network Services
3. Web Design Services
4. Certification Testing Center
5. NRCC Games

◦ Educational Games aligned to SOLs available
@ iPhone Apps Store
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NERDS Center
Work Experience Center for trained
students in NRCC IT/CS degree
programs
 Location:

◦
◦
◦
◦

Eaton
NRV Mall in C’burg facing Food Court
Adjacent to NRCC
700 square feet
Mall lease available with 30 days notice
Hours 10am – 6pm Mon-Sat
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1. PC Repair Services
Repair computers
 Virus repair and
anti-virus installation
& updates
 Computer donation
center

Image from
http://www.aaa-computerservices.com/
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2. PC Network Services
Network Setup
 Small Business
 Home Offices

Image from
http://www.cvtc.edu/pages/1338.asp
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3. Web Design Services
Web site design
 Small sites for small
companies or
organizations
 Web design update
services
 Will not provide
hosting services

Image from
http://www.napleswebdesign.net/tag/naples-web-design/
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4. Certification Test Center






Prometric Test
Center
CIW
CompTIA
Adobe
Certiport
Microsoft & More
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5. NRCC Games Center
Justin Price – Programmer
Adrian Lowry – Programmer
Cody Beasley – Character Artist
Carmel Stowers – Game Design
Heather Walters –Game Artist
Jason Clemons – Content
Creation
Carlotta Eaton – Project
Director
Mike Kaylor – Hardware
Administrator
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NRCC Games Team
at NRCC
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Timeline: iTouch Games

Summer 2009 – Governor’s Math Challenge
◦ RU Team: Daniel Burgess won 2nd place for Freddy Fraction
◦ RU Team: Dave Payne won 3rd place for Fraction Factory
◦ NRCC Team: Matt Special & Carmel Stowers started Equation
Creator Game

Fall 2009
◦ Submitted EETT Grant for iLearn project
RU Team added Matt Special, A.J. Tucker, James St. Clair

Spring 2010
◦ Started EETT Grant for iLearn project
◦ Grant Partners: NRCC, RU, Radford City Schools, Pulaski
County Schools & Apple
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iLearn Grant Project Web Site
gameslab.radford.edu/iLearn/
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Try our iPhone Games
Created by Students for Students
Search for NRCC Games or RU Games Lab
See our web site at gameslab.radford.edu/ilearn/
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iLearn Games App Store Sales
Game
#
Released
Game
#
Released
Grammar Dragon
8353
Oct 2010
Disaster Chaser
5409
Feb 2011
European
Exploration
Spelling Cat
7534
Oct 2010
June 2010
7041
Oct 2010
Factor Race
4621
Jan 2011
Same Sound Spell 2298
Bound
Apples in Hour 999
Hands
Portion Platter
439
Same Meaning Magic4186
July 2010
Computer Carl
?
Aug 2010
Freddy Fraction
4193
June 2009
Equation Creator ?
Feb 2010
Fraction Factory
3370
June 2009
Others Subtotal
Sticker Shop
Opposite Ocean
2540
2376
May 2010
Aug 2010
Totals
57,901
Note: As of March 21, 2011
Eaton
Sept 2010
Mar 2011
3151
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Language Art
Games
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#1 Same Sound Spell Bound - NRCC
Same Sound Spell Bound is
an adventure designed to help
the player understand
homophones. To begin the
adventure, users choose to
play as either Luna or Leo,
young magicians who are
beginning to master the magic
of words.
The game is designed for
third and fourth graders.
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#2 Same Meaning Magic - NRCC
The Same Meaning Magic
game engages children in
learning synonyms. The
targeted grade levels are
grades 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
If you get 3 wrong in a row, the
earth shakes.
If you get 5 wrong in a row, an
imp appears.
If you get 5 right in a row, a fairy
appears and gives you a jewel
and bonus points.
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#3 Opposite Ocean - NRCC


Opposite Ocean
helps students learn
antonyms. The student
starts this game by
choosing to play as the
girl Luna or the boy
Leo. The next choice is
the grade level from
2nd to 6th grade.
The student chooses
the antonym, opposite
meaning, of the
highlighted word in
each sentence.
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#4 Grammar Dragon - NRCC
Released 10-24-10
Eaton

The dragon has
captured all
your friends
from the castle.
You must
rescue a
different
person on each
level by
choosing the
correct
grammar item.

Grades 3-6.
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#5 Spelling Cat - NRCC
Released10-20-10



Students can create spelling
word lists every week.
3 drills available
◦ Speak Easy
◦ Word Scramble
◦ Missing Letter
For grades 1-8
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Math Games
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#6 Factor Race - NRCC
Factor the equation and
move your car to the
finish line.
 Binomial factoring of
trinomial equations

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#7 Portion Platter - NRCC
Helps students understand fractions and percents.
 Identify the fraction or percentage depicted.

Student to Student Networking
Apple Game Center
TEACHER COMMENT
10/27/2010
Mrs. Eaton,
I'm not sure if you are the one I should be writing to, but I wanted to get in
contact with someone to say THANK YOU for the great iPod apps for
education that NRCC has developed. I have a 1:1 iPod touch classroom
this year and am always looking for great, free apps. I can't tell you how long
I have been looking for and wanting an app exactly like Spelling Cat and I
just found it today. The ability to customize a list and then have the kids play
games with their own word lists is fantastic. I can't wait to put it my kids'
iPods and let them use it to practice their spelling.
All of your other apps as well are perfect for the classroom. They hit specific
skills that kids need and have just the right amount of "play" with
learning. And I still can't believe they are all FREE! Thanks again, and please
pass along my thanks to anyone else in your program that has helped
develop the apps.
Thanks,
Kyler Pace
4th Grade Teacher, Archer Glen Elementary
Sherwood, Oregon
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Coming Soon from NRCC Games
 Aesop’s Ant
2nd – 6th grades Reading Comprehension.
Play game as you read a story

Financial Literacy Game
For high school teens. Make smart financial
decisions and buy a car.
Same Meaning Magic Vol 2
 Opposite Ocean Vol 2
 Grammar Dragon Vol 2

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Staffing Needs
Carlotta Eaton
 Dave Filer
 2-6 repair students
 2-6 network students
 2-6 web design students
 4-8 game developer students
 1 Office Manager
 2 part-time clerical Staff

Eaton
10/18/2010
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Funding Status of NERDS Project

$28,200 - $35,040 needed to fund Fall 2011 semester for 2 faculty & 5-6 students.

EETT Grant from Virginia DOE


$8,500 pledge Games for Biz Kid$ Show
◦

Ends August 2011. EETT grants cut from US budget.
2 local banks for 2 games to support TV Show Roanoke PBS station via Dr. Rose Martin (www.bizkids.com)
DOL Career Pathways Grant
◦ Submitted Mar 31 - $1M to $2.5M over 3 years.
Already cut from next year’s US federal budget.

DayOne Ventures
◦ Applied. Max $16,000. Local investment and mentorship program for start-ups.

Dave Ramsey High School Curriculum
◦ Turned down by Jim King - Creating games in house (www.daveramsey.com/school/home/)

NSF Grants
◦ Cannot apply because Dr. Elizabeth Creamer has not written final grant report for previous
project.

NRCC Budget
◦ Not funded so far due to state budget cuts. Worst Virginia Budget in history.
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Partners Needed
Currently seeking
partners for
educational projects
 Current partner
BizKids TV Show by
PBS – Rose Martin

The public TV series where
kids teach kids about money and
business.
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Summary
NERDS Project Carlotta Eaton
Email: ceaton@nr.edu
 The Team
Phone: 674-3600 x4250
 Components
Web: www.nr.edu/it
 Partners Needed Dave Filer

Email: dfiler@nr.edu
Phone: 674-3600 x4272
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Extra Slides
Not used in this presentation
Eaton & Dunleavy
5/18/2010
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GamesLab
Games
by Radford
University
Student
iLearn Team
Disaster Chaser Games
Games available at Apple iPhone Apps Store
5/18/2010
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Social Science
Games
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#8 European Exploration - RU
iPad Game
Explore the new world as a
European power in the
15th Century by funding
and sending expeditions
out into the unknown. Hire
captains, build ships and
outfit voyages to learn of
the wonders of the new
world. The other powers
of europe will also be
exploring so it's a race to
who can chart out the
world first!
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#9 Governomics - RU

You are the newly elected
governor of Virginia and you have
inherited a poor economy. Your
goal is to improve the quality of
public services (public safety,
transportation, health, education)
in an attempt to increase your
approval rating. Improve the
quality of the public services by
researching the US economy. This
will earn you special abilities and
extra cash for the state budget.
You will serve a 4 year term and
readjust the budget every round
(fiscal quarter) for 16 rounds.
Virginia Standard of Learning
(SOL) areas targeted: Civics and
Economics CE.11, CE.12, and
CE.13
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#10 Zeppelin Adventures - RU

You are traveling through history in a zeppelin
and will encounter different people from
different time periods and different locations.
Talk with the people and see what they have
to say, you might just learn something.

Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL):
World History 1 (WH1)
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Math Games
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#11 Freddy Fraction – RU
By Daniel Burgess

Freddy Fraction is an alien who needs
your help! He was exploring a
strange, foreign planet when he
realized he couldn't remember where
he parked his spaceship...Freddy is
lost! Help Freddy find his way back
home safely using fractions, decimals,
and percentages to lead him back to
his spaceship!

Second Place finish in the Virginia
Mobile Learning Apps Development
Challenge, Freddy Fraction is
designed to enhance the student's
ability to determine equivalence
relationships among fractions,
decimals, and percents, as well as
improve fractional computation.
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#12 Computer Carl - RU
By A.J. Tucker & Daniel
Burgess
 Computer Carl needs to
recharge his battery.
Solve basic arithmetic
problems to get Carl
charged up!

This game is designed to
address Virginia Standard
of Learning (SOL) Math
1.8: Students will recall
basic addition and
subtraction facts.
Eaton & Dunleavy
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#13 Equation Creator – NRCC
By Matt Special & Carmel
Stowers
The Equation Creator
needs help finishing 10
equations! Create the
equations from any of
the available number or
operator tiles to form
any correct equation.
Practice using the 4 basic
mathematical operators
with several different
settings and modes.
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#14 Egberta’s Equation - RU
By Matt Special
Egberta the macaw has a
nest full of tasty eggs
that Cliff the climber
wants to eat.
Unfortunately, the eggs
are on top of a tall cliff.
Help Cliff reach the top
and get the eggs by
completing equations.
Beware though! Egberta
will drop eggs on Cliff's
head if you waste too
many eggs!
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#15 Fraction Factory – RU
By Dave Payne
 Enter the Fraction Factory and use your
math skills to place fractions into their
correct positions on a number line.
When the game begins, fraction gears
will move across the screen on a
conveyor belt. Use your finger and drag
the fraction gear to where you think
they should go on the number line at
the top of the screen.

Third Place finish in the Virginia Mobile
Learning Apps Development Challenge,
Fraction Factory is designed to enhance
the student's ability to find and order
equivalent fractions and decimals on a
number line. In addition, Fraction
Factory targets fractional computation
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#16 Sticker Shop - RU
By James St. Clair & Matt Special
 The shop keeper has a variety
of stickers in his sticker book
for you to purchase. Collect
as many stickers as you
possibly can while learning
how to count coins!

This game is designed to
address Virginia Standard of
Learning (SOL) Math K.7, 2.11
The student will count and
compare a collection of
pennies, nickels, dimes, and
quarters whose total value is
$2.00 or less and identify the
correct usage of the cent and
dollar symbol
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#17 Apples and Hour Hands - RU
Pluck apples containing
the correct time shown
on the clock and try to
catch them in your
basket as they fall by
tilting the ipod left and
right.
 The student will tell time
to the hour, using an
analog or digital clock.
 By A.J. Tucker and Matt
Special

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#18 Disaster Chaser - RU


10/18/2010
Become a master of
disaster by chasing and
responding to
disasters around the
world.
Compete against your
friends by beating their
score on the
leaderboard, and gain
bragging rights as the
master of disaster.
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iLearn Project
Latest Games
Games created by Students for Students
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Skills
Pre-requisite Skills
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Game Design & Development
Programming: C++, Java,VB etc.
Drawing skills: 2D Graphics, Story boards – Photoshop or Fireworks
Creativity, Problem Solving
Math skills: coordinate systems, geometry, trig
Physics skills: Speed of falling objects, bouncing
Writing skills: Story lines, game documentation
iPhone Development Skills
◦ Mac Operating System
◦ iPhone SDK
◦ Objective C Programming Language
Mix of C and Smalltalk
◦ Cocoa Touch – iPhone class library
◦ Xcode, Interface Builder, Simulator etc.
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iLearn Project Free Games
Now available in iPhone App Store
Games created by Students for Students
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YouTube of NRCC iLearn Team
Eaton & Dunleavy
5/18/2010
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