A shiny update to an old experiment game

Games can be a powerful tool for learning about statistical methodology. Effective game design involves a fine balance between caricature and realism, to simultaneously illustrate salient concepts in a controlled setting and serve as a testament to real-world applicability. Striking that balance is particularly challenging in response surface and design domains, where real-world scenarios often play out over long time scales, during which theories are revised, model and inferential techniques are improved, and knowledge is updated. Here I present a game, borrowing liberally from one first played over forty years ago, that attempts to achieve that balance while reinforcing a cascade of topics in modern nonparametric response surfaces, sequential design and optimization. The game embeds a blackbox simulation within a shiny app whose interface is designed to simulate a realistic information-availability setting, while offering a stimulating, competitive environment wherein students can try out new methodology, and ultimately appreciate its power and limitations. Interface, rules, timing with course material, and evaluation are described, along with a “case study” involving a cohort of students at Virginia Tech.