Presenter
Presented by Mr. Peduto
Body
WHEREAS, Carnegie Mellon University, a worldwide leader in both technology and the arts, established the first Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) in 1998; and
WHEREAS, in addition to the video games and personable animatronic figures produced at the ETC, the Center also pioneers the usage of technology to deliver educational and training value, a concept known as "edutainment"; and
WHEREAS, the ETC has already developed several edutainment applications, including Biohazard: Hazmat, which teaches firefighters new techniques to fight fires and combat chemical terrorist attacks, and Alice Programming which uses storytelling and 3D graphics to teach computer programming; and
WHEREAS, efforts designed by the ETC can aid students in problem-solving, portray rich-characters, reveal complex social networks and drive interactive stories with infinite possibilities, all creating better hands-on learning and training in science, social studies, mathematics, and language acquisition; and
WHEREAS, edutainment allows interactive education, such as learning history by reliving legendary eras through virtually reigning over a country in medieval times or roaming with dinosaurs, understanding the modern world by traveling to the farthest planets in the solar system, following the path of a virus attacking cells in the human body, or even virtually managing a theme park, zoo, or city; and
WHEREAS, research has shown that students who interact within a stimulated experience such as this retain more knowledge, accurate information, and have a deeper understanding of how to apply a subject's tools in real-life scenarios, than if they simply read a text or passively watch and listen.
Title
NOW, THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh commends and thanks the faculty, staff, and students of the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center for the unique and creative exploration of the interaction of technology, the arts, and education; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the Entertainment Technology Center as the head of edutainment initiatives for the City of Pittsburgh.