My Sports Pulse is an educational game delivered via IVR, SMS/text messaging, and e-mail to mobile devices such as cell phones. Each message contains a sports themed question that not only tests a player's sports knowledge, but teaches them aspects of math, science, and technology in a totally fun way. While it is helpful to have a computer so that a player can check the My Sports Pulse web site for scores and answers to questions, they may also participate in My Sports Pulse through their mobile phone alone. Players receive points based on how many attempts are used to answer each question successfully. They will also receive points for effort (Will to Succeed) for every question they try to answer, even if it’s answered incorrectly. Users under the age of 13 must obtain parental/guardian permission before gaining access to the My Sports Pulse web site and services. If users are under the age of 18, they should review the Terms of Use document with a parent or guardian in order to understand the terms. Parents are advised to exercise supervision over their children’s online activities. Please make sure to read our posting of COPPA guidelines if you are under 13 years of age. Additionally, winners under the age of 18 can only receive prizes with the consent of a parent or guardian. There’s no cost to participate in the My Sports Pulse Challenge. However players are responsible for obtaining access to third-party communication services, and access to My Sports Pulse may involve third-party fees (such as Internet or mobile service provider). In addition, players are responsible for all equipment necessary to access the My Sports Pulse web site and services. Standard message rates apply for all SMS/text messages sent to a mobile device. My Sports Pulse will not charge premium fees for any text messages sent to subscribers. With a current enrollment of more than 48,000 students from all 50 states and 146 foreign countries, UCF is the sixth largest university in the United States. UCF has nine colleges and currently offers 86 bachelors, 68 masters, 24 doctoral and three advanced masters and specialist degree programs. Founded in 1982 as a research unit of UCF, IST provides a wide range of research and information services for the modeling, simulation and training community. IST also has a long history of providing the military with technology for simulating work processes, particularly in high stress situations, along with other integrated learning technologies. Complementing this expertise is the university’s award-winning Technology Incubator (UCFTI). Within IST, METIL (Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab) conducts research and development on emerging technologies applied to learning, knowledge and cognition. Current research topics include mobile games, simulations, virtual worlds, and collaboration technologies for learning. The team draws from theoretical models and practice in academia, military and industry to produce design heuristics and mixed models for learning. The system currently identifies participants by their phone number. Without a unique phone number, the system would be unable to properly score the participant. Even though a cell phone number is required, the user can select an option in the registration process to receive questions via web by logging into their online profile. Points are awarded to five categories (or attributes): Science of Sport, Engineering of Equipment, Nutrition, Fitness, and Will to Succeed. The first four categories have associated scenarios and questions. When players answer a question correctly, points are awarded to that category (or attribute) in their online profile. They will have several opportunities to answer each question. Their score is based upon how many attempts used until they find success. They will also receive points in the Will to Succeed attribute for every question they attempt to answer. This encourages the players to “keep at it” and strive to improve their performance.
As players gain points for attributes in their profile, they reach new levels of achievement. Over the course of the program, they can gain titles such as an Amateur, a Rookie, a Professional, a Champion, and finally an Olympian. The Will to Succeed points are awarded for simply answering questions and taking part in the program. This score is a measurement of the player's commitment and the effort they put forth to succeed. We encourage players to continue answering questions regardless of how they may be performing. Players receive no penalty for attempting to answer all questions. In order to do gain as many points as possible, we recommend that he or she visit the My Sports Pulse web portal which has helpful links and resources designed to help them solve each scenario. The MySportsPulse.com web portal will have links to appropriate Internet resources that can supply players with helpful information. For example, a resource website might describe the differences between forms of energy, or it might have information on the food pyramid and nutrition. Yes. My Sports Pulse has been developed to map to IB 7th grade mathematics. Teachers should encourage students to refer to class materials, texts, calculators if allowed, and other teaching aids. The Institute for Simulation and Training team at UCF will operate a technical support line (407) 506-0321 during the pilot to answer any questions that come up. This help line will be available during normal business hours (9am-5pm EST). Players may also submit questions or concerns to helpdesk@mysportspulse.com and expect to receive a reply within 24 hours. The first run in 2007 included approximately 12 schools, in five or more locations across the world, including Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; Växjö, Sweden; the United Arab Emirates; Kampala, Uganda; Singapore; and possibly Sydney, Australia and Argentina. In the Spring of 2008 students from all accross the United States joined with Florida Virtual School to compete in the My Sports Pulse chalange. Coming up in October 2008 My Sports Pulse is going worldwide again with new prizes and a new look on the impact of sports in our world today. Currently our website collects anonymous usage statistics, an e-mail address, and a phone number. No other personally identifiable information is collected from your child on our website. For more information please see our privacy policy. Yes, your class performance is only available to you. Periodic progress reports will be developed. Scoring information from other schools will be available only if the school consents to sharing the information. In this case, only rolled-up totals will be reported. If your school is interested in participating in My Sports Pulse and future endeavors, please see or contact Dr. David Metcalf at the Institute for Simulation and Training. Click "Contact Us" on the main navigation menu for more information. |
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