First things first: Design principles for worthwhile educational videogames

Daniel T. Hickey, Sasha Barab, Adam Ingram-Goble, Steven Zuiker

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Three design principles are advanced for multi-user educational videogames. First, they should support situative embodiment in academic knowledge, where personally meaningful activities and coherent narratives foster collective engagement. Second, they should offer multiple levels and forms of meaningful assessment and the opportunity to succeed, fail, and try again. Third, they should provide useful feedback that is used to enhance participation, learning, and curricula. These principles were developed in three annual design-based refinements of a 15 hour ecological sciences gaming curriculum in nine upper elementary classes. Across years, the situative embodiment afforded by the curriculum was refined with informal assessment, and innovative virtual formative feedback was incorporated around a key curricular activity. Results across years revealed incremental improvements in participation, understanding of key concepts, and achievement of targeted standards. The ultimate gains in understanding and achievement were larger than those in comparison classrooms that used a conventional text-based curriculum covering the same concepts and standards.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationComputer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL
Pages350-357
Number of pages8
EditionPART 1
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
EventInternational Perspectives in the Learning Sciences: Cre8ing a Learning World - 8th International Conference for the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2008 - Utrecht, Netherlands
Duration: Jun 23 2008Jun 28 2008

Other

OtherInternational Perspectives in the Learning Sciences: Cre8ing a Learning World - 8th International Conference for the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2008
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityUtrecht
Period6/23/086/28/08

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Education

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