UF Class Turns Campus Into an Interactive Game
In the humanities class “Imagineering the Technosphere,” homework isn’t based on a book chapter, but an adventure through campus guided by the GPS-powered Time Traveler app.
Sisters Christine and Reyna Mae Cuales, both taking the class this semester, followed the prompts on the app which steered them closer to their destination. So far, they’ve visited the Harn Museum of Art, the McKnight Brain Institute, the Baughman Center on Lake Alice and the Digital Worlds Institute in Norman Hall, among others. They’re closing in on a location near the historic central campus. When students successfully navigate to the mystery location using the app, a screen pops up that tells them they’ve arrived, offers some background about the place, and poses a reflection question about the place and its use over time.
Professor Angelos Barmpoutis says the intention of the app — and its corresponding board game — is to get students to see their surroundings in a new way. “These places are deeply connected to the past and tied to the future,” he said. “I’m trying to get them to think about the things they pass every day.”