Baseball Used to Teach Kids About Math and Science Through Sports Byte Competition

At minor league baseball stadiums, children ranging in age are learning the science and math behind the sport all while having a good time watching the game courtesy of the Ewing Kauffman Foundation and powered by Hot Lava Software.

2008-08-04, Hot Lava Software

Posted by paulabhotlava 122 days ago (1)
Category: Sports | Tags: hot lava software mlearning

WARRENTON, Va-August 4, 2008-The Ewing Kauffman Foundation realized that a growing problem in our society is the lack of interest in the math and science fields of study, especially in the up and coming generation of students. With an interesting play on learning and enabled by Hot Lava Software, kids are “head faked”, using the words of Randy Pausch, into learning about the science behind the game of baseball.

Minor League teams such as the Frederick Keys, Bowie Baysocks, Wilmington Blue Rocks (click link to see an example of the Sports Bytes competition), Delmarva Shorebirds, Kansas City T-Bones, and Alberdeen Ironbirds have already started participating in this new-age learning program.

At home games, between innings, a nutty professor takes the stage on top of the home team dugout. Quickly catching the attention of the audience, a cell phone ring is played over the loud speaker. The professor challenges the audience, “Are you smarter than me, the professor?”

Now that the audience is enticed, “the professor” asks a science-based question about the game of baseball such as “Which has more drag, a smooth ball (sporta) or a rough ball (sportb)?”

Using the technology by Hot Lava Software, answers are text messaged to a number that is displayed up on the big screen and immediately the user receives a text message back that states if the answer provided was correct along with a hot link to a site with more educational information about baseball. Out of all the participants, one is chosen to receive a prize package including things such as team paraphernalia all the way to a free Kajeet cell phone.

Audiences seem very interested in this technology-enabled between inning game. The pre-teen to teen ages especially show great interest in participating in a game at a baseball stadium where they are the target audience and they can utilize their cell phones. It is a change to the activities that focus more on younger children.

So far tens of thousands of baseball fans have been reached through this method of learning simply by attending a baseball game. Without even knowing, all of these users have experienced more than just a baseball game when the last pitch is thrown; they have been taught the physics behind the game and a few walk away inspired to learn more.

About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org

About Hot Lava Software, Inc.
Hot Lava Software Inc. is the leading provider of mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking solutions. Using Hot Lava Software’s content development and publishing system (LMA) integrated with the Hot Lava Mobile Delivery and Tracking System TM (MDTS) allows organizations to have the tools and knowledge needed to launch and track mobile initiatives faster, with more cost efficiency. Hot Lava Software provides mobile content solutions and a mobile content design, authoring and publishing solution to corporations, government and universities around the world. More information is available at http://www.hotlavasoftware.com/

Joy Torchia
(816) 932-1045
jtorchia@kauffman.org

Bob Sanregret
(540) 428-2988
bobs@hotlavasoftware.com