6.14.17

Page 1

DW

UA team develops mining simulation

] r e m m [Su DAILYWILDCAT.COM

BY NICOLE MORIN @DailyWildcat

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 –­ Tuesday, June 20, 2017 VOLUME 110 ISSUE 93

really exciting,” Watson said. “I was really happy that I could do that for the UA.” The senior knew what she needed to do in preparation for her last race as a Wildcat, and focused on being mentally and physically prepared. “I prepared just like I would for any big championship meet,” Watson said. “Just making sure I was mentally ready and had a lot of good practice sessions, and understanding that if I did what I did all season that I would have a good shot at winning. So just making sure I kept my nerves intact and stayed focus on the game plan.” Watson came to the NCAA

The UA has helped provide a license to Desert Saber, a company geared toward commercializing and distributing a new mining simulation program called Harry’s Hard Choices. The technology’s priority is improving safety training for miners. Currently, training includes 40 hours of classroom instruction detailing safety measures and the correct course of action in the event of a mining emergency, as required by the federal government. However, according to Lowell Institute of Mineral Resources research scientist Leonard Brown, a principal inventor of the program and a founder of Desert Saber, this may not be the most effective way to prepare miners for the field. “Current training approaches tend to be very non-interactive and are largely delivered through lectures using PowerPoint presentations and videos,” Brown said. “A large body of evidence on active learning tells us that this is just not a very effective way to teach safety or reinforce skills.” Brown is also the principal researcher for “serious games,” which are software programs like Harry’s Hard Choices meant to improve safety and health training. The project is a direct result of Brown’s Ph.D. dissertation in computer science. Michael Peltier, safety training games programmer for the Lowell Institute’s Center for Mine Health and Safety, serves as the chief programmer. Serious games created a new type of learning environment that Brown and his team believe will be beneficial to safety education. Similar to games played for entertainment, serious games hold the attention of participants and require them to make choices that could fundamentally change the outcome of programmed scenarios. “As drivers of learning, serious games can immerse users, create suspense, and encourage competition, while they teach and evaluate skills at the same time,” Brown said. This is Desert Saber’s first commercial product, one that Tech Launch Arizona, the Lowell Institute for Mineral Resources

SAGE WATSON , 19

MINING, 12

NEWS | PAGE 4

REGENTS APPROVE UA PLANS FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, MOVEMENT ON SCUMDEVILS LAWSUIT

ARTS & LIFE | PAGE 13 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS EXPLORE BENEFITS OF LEARNING KRAV MAGA AT UA

ELIZABETH NAHL/ARIZONA ATHLETICS

SENIOR SAGE WATSON COMPETES in 400-meter hurdles at the Track and Field NCAA tournament on June 10. Watson won the NCAA Championships with a personal best time of 54.52, No. 8 in the world.

No hurdles in Watson’s way BY SYRENA TRACY @Syrena_tracy

Arizona’s track and field star Sage Watson left her mark on the UA after winning the NCAA Championship in women’s 400-meter hurdles Saturday, June 10. She posted a personal best time of 54.52 seconds. Watson is the first Wildcat to win an NCAA Championship in the event since Robin Marks in 1981. “It feels amazing being a national champion because this was my final race of being a collegiate athlete, so to win my final race and come away as a national champion is an honor and

/DAILYWILDCAT

@DAILYWILDCAT

@DAILYWILDCAT


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
6.14.17 by Arizona Daily Wildcat - Issuu