middle school game development curricula for innovative learning research
DESCRIPTION
Student Game Construction research presentationTRANSCRIPT
EdMedia Conference 2013, Victoria, BC
Purpose
Insight on open-ended technology-based learning
approach in a traditional school environment.
Research Question:
How do students experience learning in game design
and development environment in terms of 21st century
skills?
Points of Interest
Open-ended constructivist learning vs. Didactic direct
instruction
Procedural knowledge vs. declarative knowledge
Game/play learning vs. Standards-based knowledge
acquisition
Framework
Games & Play
Game
Authoring
Digital literacy
Theoretical Framework
Digital Literacy and 21st Century Learning
Root-Bernstein & Root-Bernstein 1999
Gangadharbatla, 2010
Runco, 2007
Theoretical Framework
Foundations of Games and Play
Huizinga, 1950
Gee, 2005
Shaffer, 2006
Theoretical Framework
Game Authoring
Papert, 1980
Robertson & Howells, 2008
Thomas, 2011
Study Setting
Hispanic85%
African American
12%
White, Not Hispanic
3%
Students not in special
populations 46%
Exited ESL Students, 16%
ESL Students, 24%
ESL/SPED Students, 5%
SPED Students, 9%
Methods
Student interviews
Student digital artifacts
Classroom observations
Students’ Experience
Creativity and innovation learning
Julia, grade 7: “When I’m making a game, it makes me feel I’m imagining something like if I’m in a world of imagination or I’m asleep and I’m dreaming.”
Communication and collaboration
Justin, grade 8: “…you can pretty much work together and that helps you out in working together as team with other people and building up your [game].”
Critical Thinking & Problem solving
Blanca, a grade 8: “It makes me understand how the computer talks and how it’s different from, let’s say our language, how the computer has its own language and we have ours.”
Discussion
Creative and innovative thinking in authentic game
authoring: positive feeling and deep satisfaction
Content confluence—integrated holistic learning of
subjects
Deep-learning concept—underlying causes and deep
explanations
Involves interactive technology-integrate constructivist
learning environment
What does this mean?
Curriculum Tension:
Open-ended constructivist learning vs. Didactic direct
instruction
Procedural knowledge vs. declarative knowledge
Game/play learning vs. Standards-based knowledge
acquisition
Active learning vs. Passive learning
Where do we go from here?
Contact Information
Cesar C. Navarrete,
University of Texas at Austin
Laura Minnigerode,
World Wide Workshop