Abstract
From 1983 through 1986, several laboratories investigated the role of practice in skill acquisition in a joint project called theLearning Strategies Program. The principal research tool for this project was a video game calledSpace Fortress. The present article summarizes the major findings obtained with Space Fortress, and examines several problems that arise in choosing a video game for use as a research tool.
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The learning strategies program was supported by Contract MDA903-84-K-0065 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to the University of Illinois. A project of this magnitude depends on the efforts of many individuals. My colleagues at the CPL were crucial to its success. Mike Coles, my close collaborator on the project, was highly involved, and Amir Mané (now with Bell Telephone) and Monica Fabiani (now with the NY Psychiatric Institute) were in charge of the project. The game was created by Ron Clapman, Brian Foote, and Russ Sheptak. Brian Foote has recently been responsible for porting Space Fortress to the PC. Earle Heffley coordinated the project and kept it within budget. Ivy Dunn is responsible for the current phase of the project. Readers interested in the current CPL version of Space Fortress are welcome to contact the author.
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Donchin, E. Video games as research tools: The Space Fortress game. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 27, 217–223 (1995). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204735
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204735