Measuring distributed affect in collaborative games

The ability to engage children in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields early in their scholastic years is critical to ensure the success of the next generation of scientists and engineers. Given that 97% of American teens play video games, there is a tremendous opportunity to engage students in STEM concepts within the framework of a multi-player game. Research has shown that eliciting emotional and affective responses in players can actively increase engagement, learning, and creativity, yet surprisingly little attention has been paid to the role of emotion within a collaborative multi-player gaming environment. We propose the design and development of an automatic game master that responds to the emotional states of players based on their in-game dialogue and actions. This research offers insights into affective interfaces that can improve the collaborative engagement of students and has implications for other collaborative learning environments.