middle school game development curricula for innovative learning research

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

ccnavarrete@utexas.edu

Laura Minnigerode,

World Wide Workshop

laura@worldwideworkshop.org