Triseum’s Game-Based Learning Technology Empowers Schools to Immediately Deliver Online Content in Midst of Virus Uncertainties

André Thomas March 11, 2020

As college and university faculty look to offer more assignments online due to the uncertainties surrounding theCOVID-19 outbreak, Triseum is helping them get a jump start. Triseum’s ARTé academic video games allow students to continue progressing through their art history studies online via an engaging and results-driven learning experience.

“No doubt these are stressful times. There is an immediate need for quality online content so that the education process keeps moving forward, while keeping everyone’s health a priority,”said André Thomas, CEO of Triseum and director of the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M. “As faculty are asked to increase online content quickly, they don’t need the added pressure that can come with finding, integrating and tracking digital offerings. Our games are easy to access and intuitive to play. Student scores are automatically generated based on targeted learning outcomes, easing logistics for faculty.”

At a recent press briefing, Nancy Messonnier, the director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stated that, “many people in the United States will at some point in time either this year or next be exposed to this virus.” With no clear end in sight and in an effort to offset fees, Triseum is offering its games at cost through Summer 2021.

Triseum’s games provide a simple way for faculty to engage students and inspire learning. The games feature new grading functionality, providing scores in an easy-to-use format so instructors can add them to their grade books. Scores are based on students’ progress in the game and the learning objectives they achieve. Additionally, Triseum is developing integrations with college and university administrative systems to further ease accessibility, payments and more.

Led by Thomas, who also teaches game design, game development and interactive graphics techniques, the Triseum team worked closely with students and faculty at Texas A&M’s LIVE Lab to create the ARTé game series, mimicking the quality of entertainment video games with learning design principles at the core. Colleges and universities around the world, including schools such as Arizona State University, are using Triseum’s ARTé games to engage students in interactive content.

Triseum’s ARTé franchise immerses students in history. Award winning ARTé: Mecenas focuses on the Italian Renaissance where students commission works of art as a Medici banker. In a research study, ARTé: Mecenas boosted knowledge gain by nearly 25 percent. Additionally, ARTé: Lumière recreates 19th century Paris centered around impressionist, realist and other modernist artists; and ARTé: Hemut spans ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, artworks and architecture.

For more information, please contact info@triseum.com.

More Students Earn A’s After Playing Triseum’s Calculus Game Variant: Limits

Shelley Kaufeld May 2, 2019

Research Links Gameplay to Higher Scores and Stronger Learning Outcomes at Texas A&M University

College Station, TX – May 2, 2019 – A calculus game developed by game-based learning company Triseum and Texas A&M is moving the needle on student achievement. Earlier this year, a study released by the university showed that students who played Variant: Limits^®scored higher on their exams than students who did not play the calculus game. Newly released data concludes that the percentage of A’s as final grades among those students who played the calculus game was 10.8 percent higher compared to students who did not play the game. Additionally, the DFQW rate (those students who received a D, F or withdrew) for those students who played the calculus game was 3.1 percent lower than those who did not play.

“Game-based learning increases motivation and engagement, and if students are more motivated and engaged, they are more likely to stick with it and perform better,” said André Thomas, CEO of Triseum and director of the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M. “We know students have fun playing Variant: Limits and we know they connect more deeply with the content, but now we have empirical evidence that directly ties gameplay to stronger learning outcomes.”

Calculus is foundational to STEM degrees. As STEM graduates continue to be in high demand, and as shortages are predicted, higher education needs to put proven practices in place to help students succeed with this notoriously challenging subject. According to the Mathematical Association of America, only about 65 percent of students succeed in calculus, yet the math department at Texas A&M has been working hard to implement innovative tactics that have helped bring its student success rate to well above 90 percent.

Triseum worked closely with Texas A&M’s math department on the game’s proof of concept. “The math department gets it. They were instrumental in helping create the vision for what Variant: Limits could achieve and they are committed to making sure students have the tools and technologies necessary to help them succeed,” said Thomas.

In a recent on-air interview, Thomas talked about the importance of calculus in STEM curriculum and the need for more STEM graduates to fulfill millions of well paying jobs. “Limits are foundational for calculus, and understanding limits contributes to deeper learning that students can carry with them in other calculus and STEM courses,” said Thomas.

Game-based learning is gaining traction, and for good reason. Where more traditional learning resources like tutoring centers leave very little to the imagination, they also have high fees and are difficult to scale across multiple campuses and programs. Games are the opposite. Triseum’s academic games excite, leveraging sophisticated entertainment design principles that engage students, so much so that students often forget they are learning. Students can visualize the challenges and apply their knowledge, not to mention the company’s games offer an affordable and scalable solution for big and small student populations alike.

Texas A&M’s “Variant: Limits” study involved more than 2,000 students in Fall 2018. Those in the experimental group played the game on their own outside of class and scored higher on their first exams than students in the control group who did not play the game. Data did not take into account student motivation between the experimental group and the control group.

Command History as the Medici: Play ARTé: Mecenas on Steam

André Thomas November 8, 2018

College Station, TX – November 8, 2018 – Triseum’s ARTé: Mecenas™, the first game created by students in the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M, will be released to more than 90 million monthly active gamers on the Steam platform on November 16th. ARTé: Mecenas transports players to the Italian Renaissance where they command history as the head of the Medici family, one of the most influential merchant and banking families of the era. True to history, players must balance relationships with powerful city-states, merchant factions and the Catholic Church or risk excommunication, exile and bankruptcy.

As players navigate their trade networks and relationships in ARTé: Mecenas, they must keep their financial status and reputation in check. By following the footsteps of the Medici, players become influential patrons of the arts, and experience the political, social and economic forces that shaped the Renaissance. To prosper, players must lead the Medici bank and family through risky ventures and political crises, commissioning and supporting works from upstart artists like Brunelleschi, Donatello and Raphael.

“The opportunity to connect with gamers on this worldwide stage is incredible,” said André Thomas, CEO of Triseum and director of the LIVE Lab. “There is a sense of sheer enthusiasm among Steam gamers and we can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Award winning ARTé: Mecenas was originally developed by student gamers in the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M University under the guidance of Thomas, who previously served as Head of Graphics for EA Sports Football games. The Steam version of ARTé: Mecenas is for entertainment purposes only. If interested in adopting the game for classroom use, please contact sales@triseum.com.

At last count, Steam’s daily active user count had risen to 47 million, and this upswing could be attributed to its performance in China. ARTé: Mecenas also is gaining ground in the Chinese market where it recently won a Game Academy Award at the Play Beyond the Gameexhibit at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Museum in Beijing.

Steam delivers access to thousands of popular games, from action to indie and everything in between. The platform was created by Valve in 2003 to serve as a digital content distribution channel before app stores existed. Today it remains widely used as a means to unite, share and play.

Triseum’s ARTé: Mecenas Earns Prominent Game Academy Award at CAFA’s ‘Play Beyond the Game’ Exhibit in China

André Thomas September 19, 2018

BEIJING and College Station, TX – September 19, 2018 – A new exhibit, Play Beyond the Game, is underway at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Museum in Beijing, where an international crowd recently gathered for the opening to explore the culture, art, science and technology featured in video games. Presenting at the exhibit was National Academy of Science advisor and Triseum CEO, André Thomas, who also accepted a prestigious Game Academy Award for Triseum’s educational immersive art history game, ARTé: Mecenas®.

“It was an honor to be in the company of such imaginative and forward thinkers, and we are grateful for the award recognition from CAFA,” said Thomas. “The event was a tremendous celebration of gaming, providing an opportunity to see how digital technology and artistic creativity are merging in video games, as well as helping define and advance the future of game-based learning.”

Triseum’s participation in the exhibit added to its recent exposure in the Chinese gaming market. In June, Triseum announced a partnership with Tencent, a leading provider of Internet value-added services in China, to expand access to Triseum’s calculus game, Variant: Limits®. Tencent is publishing the game, which is being called the Calculus Adventure in the Chinese market, to bring entertainment quality learning games to players across China. Additionally, Thomas was invited to speak this week at the World Conference on Science Literacy in Beijing, which gathered more than a thousand people from government agencies, science organizations and businesses, universities, and research institutions. Thomas presented Variant: Limits at the event and talked about the importance of calculus engagement in STEM programs.

“China is playing a significant role in the growth of serious games on a global scale. We are excited to be a part of this revolution with some of the country’s top gaming insiders and thought leaders, expanding our footprint and growth strategy in China,” added Thomas.

In a recent article, Zhang Zikang, the museum’s curator, noted that video games are not simply forms of entertainment, but also an inseparable part of life today. He stressed that in the future, games that are not centered around entertainment, such as education games, will play an even more important role in people’s lives.

Presenting to a packed house at the CAFA exhibit opening, Thomas shared his insight in game design and development from his decades of work in the space, and specifically the importance of combining both active game play and engaging story lines with measurable learning goals in a game-based learning environment. Triseum’s educational video games, which have been developed in collaboration with the LIVE Lab in the Department of Visualization in College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, mirror the sophistication and imagination of some of the most popular entertainment video games on the market, while staying true to their roots in academic rigor, research and outcomes.

In collaboration with China’s Culture and Entertainment Industry Association, Play Beyond the Game offers a journey of discovery and adventure where visitors can connect with game producers, play both live and unreleased games, and share their own creative ideas when it comes to social and cultural aspects of video games. The exhibit discusses the combination of games with other fields such as art, education and medicine, aiming to explore the functional value and cultural significance of games as well as the development direction of digital entertainment education in China.

About CAFA
The Central Academy of Fine Arts, located in Beijing, is an academy where culture, history and art are flourishing, and where students and educators enjoys the best art resources in the world. CAFA, as a leading institution for modern art education in China, provides a rich land for those who wish to learn, experience and engage in creativity. It has nurtured quite a lot of pre-eminent artists over the past ninety years.

Triseum to Release Highly Anticipated Art History Games for Fall Term

André Thomas July 17, 2018

College Station, TX – July 17, 2018 – Educators and students will soon have access to two new learning games in Triseum’s revolutionary ARTé® video game franchise, which immerses students in history and empowers them to assume influential roles in the creation of artworks around the world. Launching this fall, ARTé: Lumière recreates 19th century Paris centered around impressionist, realist and other modernist artists, while ARTé: Hemut spans ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, artworks and architecture.

“Our award winning games have been touted for their ability to improve students’ decision making and reflective thinking skills, not to mention sparking creativity and collaboration. This excitement has had faculty and students anxiously awaiting our new releases,” said André Thomas, Triseum CEO and Texas A&M professor. “Our new games rely on the same efficacy standards, research and imagination that go into all of our games, whereby improving student engagement and learning outcomes is core to what we do.”

Going head to head in sophistication and engagement with leading entertainment video games, Triseum’s learning games boast rigorous educational value, immersive visual appeal and inspiring game play. “The game-based learning movement is on and we are excited to be out in front of it,” noted Thomas.

Triseum’s ARTé game-based learning series transports students to pivotal time periods where they are active cultural participants. ARTé: Lumière will empower students to relate both academic and impressionist artworks to the political, social, cultural, religious and economic milieu. In ARTé: Hemut, students will chart the course of history to experience the creation and culture that gave birth to the iconic pyramids, tombs and temples.

The original game in the series, award winning ARTé: Mecenas®, allows students to commission works of art as a Medici banker. Launched in 2016, it is used by schools in the U.S. and Europe. In a research study, ARTé: Mecenas boosted knowledge gain by nearly 25 percent, and results from a year-long validation study using the game revealed strong student engagement, motivation to learn and knowledge acquisition.

“Introducing game-play, adventure and simulations into a learning experience feeds students’ hunger for problem-solving, exploration and learning through activity. It engages them in profound ways,” said Karl Kapp, professor of Instructional Technology at Bloomsburg University and author of several books on game-based learning. “Triseum’s games are filled with learning opportunities, which motivate students to think creatively, experiment with the content, and connect more deeply to the subject and its relevance.”

For more information about game adoption, please contact: sales@triseum.com.

Results From Triseum’s Year-Long Game-Based Learning Validation Study Reveal Strong Student Engagement, Motivation and Knowledge Acquisition

André Thomas July 10, 2018

College Station, TX and Brussels, Belgium – July 10, 2018 – In a new game-based learning validation study, participating teachers agreed that Triseum’s immersive academic games had a positive impact on student engagement, motivation to learn and knowledge acquisition. The study, which was conducted in collaboration with the European Schoolnet (a network of 34 Ministries of Education across Europe), followed more than 850 students playing Triseum’s art history game ARTé: Mecenas™ and calculus game Variant: Limits™during the 2017-2018 academic year.

“Everything we do at Triseum starts and ends with student success. To realize the positive impact that our games are having on students, not only through our own assessments, but through compelling third-party research, is inspiring,” said André Thomas, Triseum CEO and Texas A&M professor. “Additionally, instructors confirmed that our games attracted students’ attention, increased students’ confidence and social skills, and allowed students to exercise their imaginations. Through this study, the power of game-based learning comes to light across the globe, validating games as not only innovative, but effective.”

Twenty teachers across Norway, Poland, Portugal, Italy and Greece implemented the games in their classrooms and took part in the study, in which The University of Würzberg used a triangular evaluation approach to obtain valid and measurable results. Most teachers chose to have their students play the games both at home and at school or in flipped classroom settings, and they experimented with students playing both individually and in groups. Data gathered through questionnaires and focus groups concluded the following:

Most students showed behavioral, emotional, cognitive and agentic engagement.
There was strong motivational potential of game-based learning with respect to both games.
Students learned within the scope of the proposed goals and the overall impact on knowledge acquisition was perceived as positive with both games and the game-based learning approach.

“Variant: Limits inspired our students to be far more involved with the subject as students developed investigative spirits, critical thinking skills and deeper enthusiasm for calculus,” said Carminda Marques, math teacher at Escola Secundaria de Fafe in Portugal. “If you were to ask any of our students, playing Variant: Limits made practice more fun, not to mention we as teachers saw overall better performance.”

Marc Durando, Executive Director of European Schoolnet, commented, “Immersive and sophisticated games, such as Triseum’s Variant: Limits™ and ARTé: Mecenas™, integrate more dynamic and real-world activities into the learning experience, and based on this initial research, it is a model that appears to work. We are encouraged by these first results and look forward to keeping the research, dialogue and momentum moving forward.”

Both the executive summary and the complete study are available through European Schoolnet’s Future Classroom Lab. Additionally, teachers shared their feedback and findings in two webinars. Archives of the Variant: Limits results webinar and the ARTe: Mecenas results webinar are posted.

“We appreciate the opportunity to engage with all of the participating teachers who shared such valuable insights and we are grateful to European Schoolnet and the University of Würzberg for their dedication to producing a meaningful and thorough report,” concluded Thomas.

About European Schoolnet
European Schoolnet is the network of 34 European Ministries of Education, based in Brussels. As a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to bring innovation in teaching and learning to our key stakeholders: Ministries of Education, schools, teachers, researchers, and industry partners. European Schoolnet’s mission is to support relevant education stakeholders in Europe in the transformation of education processes for 21st century digitalized societies. Our remit is to identify and test promising innovative practices, share evidence about their impact, and support the mainstreaming of teaching and learning practices aligned with 21st century standards for the education of all students.

Triseum and Tencent Bring Calculus Video Game to Chinese Gaming Market

André Thomas June 4, 2018

College Station, TX and Shenzhen, China – June 4, 2018 – A new partnership between Triseum, a U.S. game-based learning innovator, and Tencent, a leading provider of Internet value-added services in China, is opening doors for Chinese learners and gamers. The two organizations are expanding access to Triseum’s Variant: Limits, an academic calculus game that rivals popular entertainment video games in imagination, interactivity, sophistication and suspense.

In a 2017 Atomico report, China was named the “undisputed gamer capital of the world.” Bringing games to this growing market that not only entertain, but also teach is what inspired Triseum and Tencent to collaborate. The Calculus Adventure, as the game will be called in China, brings the notoriously challenging subject to life through immersive game play, enabling students to explore and retain the content on a deeper level. Variant: Limits is already making strides in the U.S. and Europe where it has contributed to improved learning outcomes and even motivated students to play long after they were required to because it was so much fun.

“The growth of gaming on a global scale continues to impress, with China playing a significant role in this market momentum,” said Triseum CEO Andre Thomas, who also was recently named an EdTech Trendsetter finalist. “Tencent has a significant footing in the Chinese video game market, not to mention the insight and drive to expand serious games. We are excited to work alongside the Tencent team to elevate game-based learning on a world-wide stage.”

Tencent is licensing Variant: Limits from Triseum with the goal to foster engaging and experiential learning environments across China. The game, which won Gold at the International Serious Play Awards, relies on strict learning efficacy backed by research. Combating static learning experiences, it empowers students to practice college-level calculus concepts visually in a 3D environment, straying from traditional memorization to active application.

“Serious games have the power to impact the way we live, learn and play,” said Ming Liu, Vice President of Tencent Games. “Triseum shares our commitment to creativity and innovation through serious games. Its calculus game is inspiring new ways to interact with content while having fun in the process, adding cultural value just like other games inspired by our Neo Culture Creativity concept.”

About Tencent
Tencent uses technology to enrich the lives of Internet users. Our social products Weixin and QQ link our users to a rich digital content catalogue including games, videos, music and books. Our proprietary targeting technology helps advertisers reach out to hundreds of millions of consumers in China. Our infrastructure services including payment, security, cloud and artificial intelligence create differentiated offerings and support our partners’ business growth. Tencent invests heavily in people and innovation, enabling us to evolve with the Internet. Tencent was founded in Shenzhen, China, in 1998. Shares of Tencent (00700.HK) are traded on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

Triseum and NAEA Advance Art Education and Game-Based Learning Programs

André Thomas April 10, 2018

College Station, TX and Alexandria, VA – April 10, 2018 – Game-based learning company Triseum and the National Art Education Association (NAEA) today announced a partnership to promote the power of art education, helping educators deliver comprehensive, balanced and sequential learning environments. The two organizations are working together to merge art education and game-based learning in ways that inspire active and creative learning experiences.

Triseum’s team of educators, instructional designers and gaming veterans will consult with NAEA about future developments in game-based learning. Triseum also has committed to donating a portion of the proceeds from its immersive art history game, ARTé: Mecenas, to the NAEA Art Educator Scholarship Fund. NAEA will promote Triseum’s ARTe: Mecenas game to its members, sharing ideas and insights to advance art history courses. NAEA also will provide consultation and support for Triseum’s games in design, representing an important voice for the art education community when it comes to research and standards.

Triseum CEO and Texas A&M professor André Thomas recently presented at the NAEA National Convention in Seattle in a session that explored the impact of game-based learning on art curriculum and outcomes, as well as ways that interactive gaming technology is inspiring new opportunities for students to learn. He showcased ARTe: Mecenas and shared research demonstrating how the game has boosted student knowledge by as much as 25 percent.

“Imagination and inspiration are core to art education. Game-based learning presents an ideal way for students to express themselves and try new things, while at the same time staying engaged and motivated in the learning process,” said Thomas. “Our team shares NAEA’s passion for art education. Together, we are empowering instructors to deliver modern and interactive learning experiences.”

“Game-based learning is a dynamic way to engage learners in problem solving activities that promote critical thinking and help educators assess learning,” said NAEA Chief Learning Officer Dennis Inhulsen. “ARTé: Mecenas is a strategy game with targeted learning outcomes that support traditional college-level Art History and Art Appreciation courses. Gameplay will reveal the interconnectedness of art patronage, economics and political pressures that surround the commissioning of famous Italian Renaissance artworks.”

About NAEA

Founded in 1947, the National Art Education Association is the leading professional membership organization exclusively for visual arts educators. Members include elementary, middle, and high school visual arts educators; college and university professors; university students preparing to be art educators; researchers and scholars; teaching artists; administrators and supervisors; and art museum educators—as well as more than 49,000 students who are members of the National Art Honor Society.

Triseum’s Game-Based Learning Webinar Leads off STEM Discovery Week

André Thomas March 22, 2018

Progress in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education continues to soar. Educators and industry experts are taking note as they look forward to STEM Discovery Week, which kicks off April 22nd – 29th. The event brings awareness, competitions and excitement all month long.

Participating schools and organizations are saying “Yes to STEM,” reinforcing their open-minded and dedicated support to STEM subjects at school, as well as wide-ranging collaboration among stakeholders. STEM Discovery Week celebrates the careers and studies in STEM fields. Game-based learning company Triseum is a proud supporter of STEM Discovery Week.

Critical to STEM degrees is calculus, yet it has one of the highest failure rates of any college course, according the Mathematics Association of America. What’s more, calculus ranks number one on the list of courses most disliked by students, says College Stats. Participants in STEM Discovery Week will have an opportunity to discover how game-based learning is combating these alarming statistics.

Triseum has partnered with European Schoolnet to host a webinar leading into the event. “A Game Changer! Motivating and Engaging Students with Game-Based Learning” will be led by André Thomas, CEO of Triseum, and Panagiota Argyri, a teacher at the Private Model High School “Evangeliki” in Greece. Mr. Thomas, a long time gaming enthusiast, professor and developer, will discuss research on game-based learning and share tips for utilizing games in the classroom. Ms. Argyri, an award-winning mathematics teacher in primary and secondary education, will highlight her experience utilizing Variant: Limits, Triseum’s calculus game, in the European Schoolnet Game-Based Validation Study.

The webinar takes place on April 13th at 10am CST. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. **expired link**

Don’t forget to follow the excitement all month long in April at #STEMDiscoveryWeek.

STEM Discovery Week 2018 is a joint international initiative that invites projects, organisations and schools across Europe and around the world, to celebrate careers and studies in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The tagline for this year’s campaign “say yes to STEM” describes the partners’ open-minded and dedicated support to STEM subjects at school, as well as wide-ranging collaboration among stakeholders in the area.

Interested to become a partner?

By committing to the STEM Discovery Week 2018, the partners agree to:

Organise and share information about activities in STEM education as part of the STEM Discovery Week campaign.
Encourage third parties to support and join the initiative by organising STEM activities of their own and share information about them as part of the STEM Discovery Week campaign.
Publish on their web page information in support of the STEM Discovery Week campaign, hence facilitating an active exchange of information among projects, organisations and schools.

For more information on the registration steps that potential partners need to follow, please consult this document here.

Are you organising a STEM event around April 2018?

Include it on the map! Participants organising STEM activities in the course of April 2018, may also enter the STEM Discovery Week competitions. Visit the competitions’ section for more information here **expired link**.

Triseum Earns Prestigious Grant from National Science Foundation to Further Develop Variant Calculus Game Series

André Thomas March 16, 2018

Following an intensely competitive process, Triseum has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to conduct research and development on its four-game calculus series, Variant. Triseum creates innovative and immersive ways for students to connect with content through games. With its first calculus game, Variant: Limits, already in play at colleges and universities around the world, the grant will help Triseum fund the development of three additional games, all of which are aimed at improving engagement and significantly reducing calculus failure rates.

Success in calculus can be a prediction of persistence in STEM programs, yet a significant number of students don’t succeed. In fact, calculus has one of the highest failure rates of any college course. This can reduce graduation rates and restrict hiring into STEM careers. Variant activates students’ digital literacy and applies it to an educational setting. It assists learners in grasping core concepts in calculus, which ultimately leads to higher persistence, retention and graduation rates in STEM degrees.

The Variant series is to designed to engage and motivate students in meaningful ways. It draws students into an interactive 3D world of gameplay where they develop a conceptual understanding of calculus without reliance on definitions, terminology, formulas and calculations. They must apply their knowledge to advance, creating a learning experience that is exploratory and fun, but also productive and results-driven.

“The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts,” said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. “We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.”

NSF’s merit-based proposal process awards small businesses with the most innovative science and technology solutions, as well as commercial potential. As a grantee, Triseum is also invited to participate in the NSF workshop and boot camp, which takes place in March in Arlington, VA. To learn more about the NSF SBIR/STTR program, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/.