Our Dubious National Future in Science and Engineering . . .

And How Video Games Might Help

Merrilea J. Mayo, The National Academies
January 26, 2006
4 PM, Room 2405 Siebel Center

This presentation begins by detailing the unprecedented global competitive situation in which the U.S. now finds itself.  By both quantitative and qualitative measures, the U.S. is losing ground rapidly to technologically-competent countries driven by intense, well-planned science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) education strategies.  The U.S. desperately needs a strong, considered approach to the development of scientists and engineers – and, more importantly, a technologically literate public.  However, in an education system composed of locally-administered fiefdoms, national solutions are difficult to impose.

A striking observation is that the number of active subscribers to a single online video game is approximately equal to the yearly output of scientists and engineers graduated by all colleges and universities in the U.S., across all disciplines.  This national reach, completely outside the maze of our public and higher education systems, could make video games a “bronze bullet” for solving our nation’s educational crisis.  Further research shows that the learning paradigms espoused by cognitive scientists are all well represented in the video game genre, and, moreover, the chemical state of the brain while playing video games virtually guarantees superior encoding of learned information.  Time on task is huge (for college-bound high school students, the same as homework time), and games can easily be structured to adapt to the specific learning path of the individual.  The possibility that games might be a “bronze bullet” for remedying our national education woes has driven a fast-growing movement of “Serious Game” researchers who are intent on taking this technology to the next level.   Some examples of games under development, and learning outcomes of games recently developed, are also given.


 Merrilea J. Mayo, formerly a faculty member at Penn State University, has become increasingly involved in issues of Science Policy. She recently spent a year in the office of Senator Joseph Lieberman covering all civilian and military R&D issues for the Senator. In October 2001, she help found ASTRA, the Alliance for Science and Technology Research in America that seeks to increase governmental R&D funding for the physical sciences in the U.S.. At present Dr. Mayo is the Director of GUIRR- the Government- University- Industry Research Roundtable organization within the National Academies that brings together leaders in industry, government and academia to address pressing issues concerning the U.S. national research enterprise. Dr.  Mayo has served in a number of governance positions in the Materials Research Society including Councilor, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Merrilea Mayo received her B.S. degree in Materials Science from Brown University in 1982, and then went on obtain her Master's and Ph.D. degree from Stanford in 1984 and 1988 respectively. As a faculty member at Penn State, Dr. Mayo developed a large group studying not only thermal and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline ceramics but also devoted substantial effort to the nuances of preparing bulk nano-grained materials from ultrafine starting powders.