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Expedition
is an after-school program at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland,
California. Offered by the Archaeological
Research Facility and the Interactive University Project,
Expedition is built upon a computer-based after-school program model
called UCLinks, or the Fifth
Dimension. Expedition takes place in a nonhierarchical environment
where children spend time with adults in playful activities that
are fun, but also engage them in critical thinking, reading, writing,
and creating their own multimedia projects.
Expedition
offers 26 different activities involving history, ancient cultures,
archaeology, geography and computer skills, such as MS Word, Excel,
Powerpoint and Hyperstudio. Much of the fun atmosphere in Expedition
is provided by the program itself, which is a meta-game with its
own myth, rules of citizenship and system of rewards for achievement
of tasks.
The
adults in Expedition, known as Supernova's Assistants (SAs), are
UC Berkeley students enrolled in a service learning course in Anthropology.
They encourage children to read the instructions themselves and
to make their own decisions. SAs act as older brothers or sisters,
providing hints, encouragement, and companionship. They do not act
as expects, or teach in the traditional sense. When children work
and play with university students who share some of their cultural
backgrounds, we have seen an increase in their self-esteem and confidence.
We hope to inspire Roosevelt’s students to seek higher education
as an attainable and worthwhile life choice.
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