William R. Watson

A case study of the in-class use of a video game for teaching high school history

This study examines the case of a sophomore high school history class where Making History, a video game designed with educational purposes in mind, is used in the classroom to teach about World War II. Data was gathered using observation, focus group and individual interviews, and document analysis. The high school was a rural school located in a small town in the Midwestern United States. The teacher had been teaching with the game for several years and spent one school week teaching World War II, with students playing the game in class for three days of that week. The purpose of this study was to understand teacher and student experiences with and perspectives on the in-class use of an educational video game. Results showed that the use of the video game resulted in a shift from a traditional teacher-centered learning environment to a student-centered environment where the students were much more active and engaged. Also, the teacher had evolved implementation strategies based on his past experiences using the game to maximize the focus on learning.

The Role of Technology and Computer-Based Instruction in a Disadvantaged Alternative School's Culture of Learning.

New approaches to instruction are increasingly being advocated to meet the needs of diverse learners. Educational researchers have identified the further development and application of computer-based instruction technologies for managing differentiated learning for all students as essential for shifting to a learner-centered paradigm of instruction in future schools. This study examines how a disadvantaged alternative high school implemented technology use and computer-based instruction to support a learner-centered culture of learning. Based on findings, the study looks for implications and future directions to better support learner-centered instruction for diverse students.

Creating Shared Visions of the Future for K-12 Education: A Systemic Transformation Process for a Learner-Centered Paradigm

This chapter compares a number of systemic change approaches to K-12 school innovation. The approaches reviewed in this chapter range from idealized design to leveraged emergent design, school-wide to district-wide transformation, and key-leader directed to broad-stakeholder-directed transformation. Definitions of each approach are reviewed, along with key practices of each and comparisons among them. The chapter does not recommend a particular approach for all or even most cases, but rather is intended to stimulate discussion and understanding of their advantages and disadvantages within the culture and context of any particular school community.

PBL as a Framework for Implementing Video Games in the Classroom

Video games and problem-based learning (PBL) are both significant trends in progressive approaches to education. The literature demonstrates a fit between the two approaches, indicating they may be mutually beneficial. With limited literature on implementing games in the classroom, and a growing body of researchers highlighting the importance of the teacher in mediating game use and maximizing the effectiveness of games for learning, guidance is needed on the role teachers can play in utilizing games in structured environments. PBL has a richer literature base on its effective use, and with its similarities to game-based learning, can inform the effective use of games. In order to assist educators in integrating video games into their curriculum, a video game implementation framework based on PBL principles was developed. The efficacy of utilizing video games for learning in formal and structured learning environments may be improved by integrating PBL guidelines as a framework. DOI: 10.4018/ijgbl.2012010105 78 International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2(1), 77-89, January-March 2012 Copyright

Learner profiles of attitudinal learning in a MOOC: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study

The aims of the study were to investigate learner profiles in a MOOC focused on attitudinal learning, Science of Happiness, based on learner self-assessment of happiness and relationships with demographics, attitudinal learning gains and preferred instructional activities. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used in the attitudinal learning survey. The survey assessed cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning, and was followed by interviews with 12 participants. Latent profile analysis identified two profiles based on the differences in the levels and trends of happiness reported by learners during the 10-week course. Results indicated that MOOC learners described different preferences for exploratory or instructor-directed instructional strategies. Identified implications for the instructional design of MOOCs for attitudinal learning included recognizing that MOOC learners often view MOOCs more as entertainment as opposed to formal education. Therefore, course length, pace, scope, and difficulty should be considered in this light. Furthermore, supporting varied learner goals and interests, and instructional preferences are important. Finally, special consideration must also be paid to the design and facilitation of course discussions. Latent profile analysis identified 2 profiles based on happiness levels and trends.Learners identified different instructional preferences: instructor-led versus self-directed.Course design should consider views of MOOCs as entertainment.Design should support varied learner goals and preferences.MOOC discussion challenges merit focus on design and facilitation.

Engagement Through Praxis in Educational Game Design: Common Threads

Background. Engagement in praxis, the process of acting and reflecting in a cyclical fashion, fosters the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among educational game designers. Resulting from this process, designers can apply their learned skills to create highly engaging educational games. Aim. This study examines the game development process of 22 international game designers from business, government, and academia as they describe their engagement in praxis when designing educational games. Method. Building upon research on reflective practice, this article provides insights on how engagement in praxis can be framed as a tool for educational game design that naturally promotes learning and motivation during gameplay. The researchers examine common threads that illustrate the process that educational video game designers use to create games. Results. Four common threads or themes were pulled from in-depth interviews with each designer. In this article, we focus on engagement in designing and applying game mechanics, engagement in content and context in educational games, feedback as an indicator of motivation and engagement, and working within project constraints to create engaging experiences.

Designing an Experiential Learning Environment for Logistics and Systems Engineering

Systems engineering increasingly addresses the system lifecycle, as opposed to its more traditional role focusing on design and development. This new situation results in part from the recognition that upstream design and deployment decisions have potentially significant cost and performance implications post-deployment. For military systems, the role that typically addresses post-deployment issues is the logistician. Over the system lifecycle, it is important that the traditional roles of systems engineer and logistician understand issues faced by one another, as well as joint cost and performance implications. This paper presents the design of a role-based experiential learning environment for logisticians involved in military sustainment. This design leverages the generic components of an existing single-learner technology base, the Experience Accelerator, for presenting and controlling the learner experience, plus simulating program outcomes resulting from learner decisions. This technology base has been used to create a learning experience for a lead systems engineer in charge of designing and developing a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. In this new environment, the logistician learner interacts with systems engineers during UAV system acquisition and sustainment, learns about systems engineering issues and their effect on logistics, tries to influence upstream systems engineering decisions, and also performs logistics functions.

Examining Instructor and Learner Experiences and Attitude Change in a Journalism for Social Change Massive Open Online Course: A Mixed-Methods Case Study

This study examined instructor and learner experiences in a Journalism for Social Change (JSC) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to introduce learners around the world to constructive, solutions-based journalism techniques, as well as engage learners in developing news stories promoting positive change about critical child welfare (CW) issues. Mixed-methods were used to identify five themes across instructor and learner experiences. Results suggest MOOCs have the potential to increase learners’ journalism content knowledge and to mobilize citizen journalists around social justice topics impacting communities. This study adds to an ongoing body of work investigating MOOC design for changing attitudes.

Juvenile Offenders: Developing Motivation, Engagement, and Meaning-Making through Video Game Creation

In this study, the authors examined juvenile offender experiences in Project Tech, a research-based educational pilot program to teach socially responsible serious game development at a major Midwest universitys Games Lab. Using open-ended interviews, learner feedback surveys, and learner journaling during the program, the researchers examined two questions pertaining to: a learner motivation, engagement, and meaning making; and b program feedback and critique to elicit program improvements as part of an iterative process. Responses were analyzed using inductive textual analysis and content analysis. Several learner themes emerged: game development as motivation, discovery learning i.e., learning game development skills through trial and error as engagement in game development, and meaning-making through designing games to teach a social issue. The authors link these findings to the research questions and implications, discuss discovery learning as it pertains to juvenile delinquency interventions, and identify new questions for the ongoing pilot program.

Perceived learning in three MOOCs targeting attitudinal change

Abstract Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential to impact education at a global scale. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the cases of three MOOCs, including Human Trafficking, US Food System, and Animal Behavior and Welfare, that were specifically designed to effect attitudinal change in its participants, specifically focusing on the three aspects of attitudinal change, cognitive, affective and behavioral as well as general learning. The study examined learners’ perceptions of attitudinal change, including according to the MOOC they took, the instructional method utilized, and the influence of attitudinal components on each other. The findings from this research provide a number of implications that could be helpful for understanding instruction and instructional design of MOOCs, particularly those MOOCs addressing attitude change.