The Emancipation Game
Delivering math narratives through episodes of black history and AI NPCs
Project Overview
The Emancipation Game is a project funded by the Gates Foundation to successfully deliver "Math Narratives" techniques through episodes of black history. The video game is an open world environment set in 1976 Soweto, South Africa. Where the player helps the local population craft policies against Apartheid by talking to characters, helping them solve problems, and analyzing different data sources to compare the languages spoken in Soweto.
🔬 Research & Findings
The Emancipation Game was part of a randomized control trial in schools in Baltimore and Washington DC (N = 66) that looked at how effective was delivering math narratives through a game with AI Non-Playable-Characters (NPCs). A meaningful finding from the study was the detection of a specific timing when delivering math narratives is the most effective. The finding was only possible by triangulating the second-by-second behavior data of the students playing the game (game logs), the AI transcript conversation between student and AI NPC, and the live classroom observations of the students.
Read the Research PosterProject Scope
- RoleDirector of Product & Research
- PlatformPC / Open World Narrative
- ResearchRandomized control trial, N = 66 (Baltimore & Washington D.C.)
- LocationWashington, D.C. & Baltimore
- Years2025 - 2026
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