MIT's Education Arcade and Scheller Teacher Education Program received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop an immersive virtual learning experience supporting high school math and biology instruction.  Working collaboratively with teachers, we have created The Radix Endeavor, a multi-player online game set on the Island of Ysola.

What is it?

The Radix Endeavor is a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) for STEM learning (science, technology, engineering and math) in middle and high school. A MMOG is a a 2- or 3-D graphical, simulated world played online where individuals take on a digital character, or avatar, that they use to represent themselves in this virtual space. They can interact with the designed environment in which activities take place, and also with other individuals' avatars or non-player avatars that are part of the narrative. To learn more about The Radix Endeavor, check out our blog with more information on design ideas and curriculum coverage.

Playing the Game

Radix is cross-platform and played entirely online. It requires an Internet connection, any standard web browser, and the Flash plug-in.

Minimum System Requirements:

Windows and Macintosh
Microsoft Windows XP or Mac OS 10.6
Modern Intel Core series or AMD Athlon Processor @ 2GHz or faster
1GB of RAM
1024 x 768 display (1280 x 800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 22, Chrome 27
Adobe Flash Player 11.2 Download
Broadband Internet Connection required for online access to Radix

Recommended System Requirements:

Windows and Macintosh
Microsoft Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.8
Modern Intel Core series or AMD Athlon processor @ 3GHz or faster
2GB of RAM
1024 x 768 display (1280 x 800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
Internet Explorer 8, Firefox 22, Chrome 27
Flash plugin installed and updated. Download
Broadband Internet Connection required for online access to Radix

Number of players | Download speed/Upload speed

Under 25 players | 25Mbps/3.2Mbps
25-30 players | 30Mbps/3.8Mbps
31-40 players | 40Mbps/5.1Mbps

The bandwidth listed is required for only one group (for example, a classroom) to play Radix. It does not take into account other internet usage occurring at your location at the same time.

The People

The Radix Endeavor is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is under development at the MIT Education Arcade in collaboration with Filament Games. The project began in late 2011 and is scheduled to release in a public pilot phase starting spring 2014.