Design, implementation, and evaluation of a social learning network for Chess

Abstract This thesis demonstrates how an active team environment, enabled by educational technology, enhances an individual's learning experience. With the inspiration and insight from international chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, who is also an experienced and successful chess coach, this thesis examines the question in the context of chess. Two of GM Ashley's acclaimed chess skill builders, Pawn Mower and Chess- Maze are digitally transformed, and then extended to create a social learning network. Three types of team interactions are designed, which we call EnLighten Me, Peers' Peek, and Heat Map respectively. EnLighten Me and Peers' Peek are implemented into browser-based webpage, while Heat Map is visualized in a mobile application written on the Android platform. A comparative experiment is then designed according to learning theory, to test the effectiveness of the proposed social learning network. User data was collected and interpreted for possible future work.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Shen, Shen Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Andrew B Lippman.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93054

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/93054