FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?

• Confirm your intent to be a recruiter by telephoning project research assistant Lisa McFarland at 304-243-2479 between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Thursday. She must speak to you on the telephone to verify that you are an adult. She will confirm your e-mail address. Once you’re on board, we will e-mail you your user name and password to log in to the Selene recruiter page. After you log in, you’ll receive instructions and information.

Who can be a recruiter?

• Any adult can recruit adolescents to take part in the Selene project. You do not need to be an educator to participate as a recruiter.

What are my responsibilities as a recruiter?

• You must be an adult.

• You will recruit youth between the ages of 13 and 18, but only individuals willing to put forth a serious effort in playing a new video game and being a part of a NASA education study. We will provide you all necessary information to distribute via your recruiter web page.

• You must verify that students under the age of 18 have parental consent to play the game. (Parent/Guardian must be aware and agree.) How you accomplish this is up to you, but you must distribute a hard copy of the informed consent form to parents. You can simply send parents a printed copy of the informed consent form and study information that will be available on the Selene web site and verify eligibility verbally. Do not return any paper forms to us; we need only the number of eligible players you’ve recruited.

• Once we enter the number of students into your recruiter web page, you will receive the web site URL and access code to distribute to players. The access code will be set to enable only the number of students entered under your name access into the Selene game site. Therefore, make sure you tell your recruits not to pass on their access code to others.

When does the study begin?

• The study will begin in May 2007. Youth will not be able to enter the game site or play the game until then.

What’s in it for me as a recruiter? Will I be paid?

• While we are not budgeted to compensate you for your recruiting help, you will be doing a great service to education. Your simple invitation to students will give NASA researchers participants for this very important study.

What’s in it for the kids? Will they be paid?

• There’s no pay involved, but in addition to the fun of trying out an exciting new video game, students will get to learn lunar geology through the Selene game. And how many youth can say they’re part of a real NASA study? It’s an exciting and rare opportunity to help shape the design of educational games in the years to come. And the next time they look up a full moon, they’ll know a lot more about what they’re looking at!

How much time will it take being a recruiter?

• The amount of time you spend on Selene depends on how long you recruit and how long it takes you to acquire parental consent.

What kind of game is it?

• Selene is a single player game focusing on lunar geology. Because this is a research study, we can’t tell about the game in greater detail. The game is a Java- and Flash-based Internet application. It can be played on either a Windows or Macintosh platform.

• Windows users need at least the Internet Explorer 6 or Firefox web browser. Mac owners access the game through Safari or Firefox.

• Players need a computer with sound (headset or speakers), Java plug-in version 1.4, and the Flash 7 player.

How, what, when or where do they play?

• Students can play the game only if they obtain access from you. The game will be available for play 24/7 beginning in May. The game will remain online after the study concludes in May so that players can continue to access the game.

  • Students can play it anywhere they have Internet access—they don’t need to be in a classroom or to play with other kids, nor do they have to travel to the Center for Educational Technologies^®, where the study is based. The study portion of the game will take them only about an hour. After that, they are free to play the game as much as they’d like. The Selene site will also provide activities and resources that participants can use to learn how to observe the moon in their own backyards.

Do we need to travel anywhere?

• No travel is involved. All the materials and training you’ll need will be available via the Internet.

Does the game have to be played in one complete session or can it be split up over different class times or days?

• We prefer that for the study portion, which takes about an hour, the game be played in one sitting. And once the study part of the game is completed, students are free to play the game as much as they’d like.

How many students will be involved?

• We estimate approximately 1,500 students will play the game for study purposes. Because Selene is a single-player game, youth do not interact with other players for the study.

Is there any cost involved for either recruiters or students?

• No.

What is involved in my classroom?

• You don’t have to do anything in your class. The only thing you might want to do is use a few minutes of class time to talk about the study and recruit players.

Would this program mesh with the curriculum of gifted eighth grade Earth science students and their gifted studies?

• Absolutely. Because of its proximity and characteristics, the moon is key to understanding the two most basic and pervasive geologic processes in the solar system. The moon is the solar system’s Rosetta Stone.

What standards does the Selene game support?

• Selene supports AAAS Atlas of Science Literacy strand maps’ learning goals in the Universe Solar System and the Processes that Shape the Earth: Changes in the Earth’s Surface strands for grades 6-12.

What is the timetable for this project given that we already are halfway through the school year?

• This study will take only one hour of the students’ time in May. Because the Selene study is not designed as a school project, you do not have to dedicate class time to it. The game can be played anywhere anytime in May via an Internet connection. However, if you do make the game available during your class time, your efforts will be most appreciated by the research team.

Will students require any previous knowledge about astronomy?

• No previous astronomy experience is required. In fact, we prefer astronomy novices.

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