Using Game-Based Learning to Foster Critical Thinking in Student Discourse
Main Article Content
Abstract
Previous research indicates the importance of student discourse in the construction of knowledge and the fostering of critical thinking skills, especially in the field of problem-based learning (PBL). Further, a growing body of research on game-based learning (GBL) draws parallels between playing certain types of games and the solving of ill-structured problems, citing similar conditions for learning (student centered, small student groups, teachers as facilitators, problems as vehicles for development), and similar learning outcomes (communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration) as PBL. However, there is a gap in understanding how GBL affects critical thinking as embodied by student discourse when implemented in traditional classroom environments. In this study, I examined student discourse throughout a GBL intervention designed to promote content knowledge and critical thinking in an 8th grade social studies classroom. A total of three 8th grade social studies classes engaged in the intervention. Post-tests and delayed post-tests were conducted for the entire 8th grade (ten social studies classes across two instructors). Five groups of students that engaged in the GBL intervention were videotaped and analyzed. Data analysis showed that features of the GBL intervention and particular cycles of gameplay were effective in promoting higher levels of critical thinking, including the development of independent beliefs prior to engaging in collaborative discourse and providing opportunities for guided reflection. This study has implications for the developers of GBL frameworks, researchers interested in exploring GBL, and teachers seeking to integrate GBL into their classrooms.
Article Details
1. Publication and Promotion: In consideration of the Publisher’s agreement to publish the Work, Author hereby grants and assigns to Publisher the non-exclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, or distribute the Work throughout the world in all means of expression by any method now known or hereafter developed, including electronic format, and to market or sell the Work orany part of it as Publisher sees fit. Author further grants Publisher the right to use Author’s name in association with the Work inpublished form and in advertising and promotional materials
2. Copyright: Copyright of the Work remains in Author’s name.
3. Prior Publication and Attribution: Author agrees not to publish the Work in print form prior to publication of the Work by the Publisher. Author agrees to cite, by author, title, and publisher, the original Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning publication when publishing the Work elsewhere
4. Author Representations: The Author represents and warrants that the Work:
(a) is the Author’s original Work and that Author has full power to enter into this Agreement;
(b) does not infringe the copyright or property of another;
(c) contains no material which is obscene, libelous, defamatory or previously published, in whole or in part.
Author shall indemnify and hold Publisher harmless against loss of expenses arising from breach of any such warranties.
5. Licensing and Reuse: Reuse of the published Work will be governed by a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc/4.0/). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon the Work non-commercially; although new works must acknowledge the original Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning publication and be non-commercial, they do not have to be licensed on the same terms.
References
Census. (n.d.). 2010 Census. Retrieved June 12, 2014 from http://www.census.gov/2010census/
Abrami, P. C., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Wade, A., Surkes, M. A., & Tamim, R. (2008). Instructional interventions affecting critical thinking skills and dispositions: A staged meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 1102–1134. http://dx.doi.org/1.3102/0034654308326084
Arend, B. (2009). Encouraging critical thinking in online threaded discussions. The Journal of Educators Online, 6(1).
Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview. In L. Wilkerson & W. Gijselaers (Eds.), Bringing problem-based learning to higher education: Theory and practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning Series, No. 68 (pp. 3–11). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school—Expanded edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
DeVane, B., & Squire, K. D. (2008). The meaning of race and violence in Grand Theft Auto. Games and Culture, 3(3–4), 264–285. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/155541208317308
Devlin-Scherer, R., & Sardone, N. B. (2010). Digital simulation games for social studies classrooms. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, 83(4), 138–144. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1080/00098651003774836
Dunlap, K. L. (1999). Listening in on classroom discourse: Three 9th grade classes discuss literature (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Durga, S., & Squire, K. D. (2011). Productive gaming and the case for historiographic gameplay. In Gaming and Simulations: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications (pp. 1124–1141). Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Ennis, R. H. (1987). A taxonomy of critical thinking dispositions and abilities. In J. B. Baron & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.), Teaching thinking skills: Theory and practice (pp. 9–26). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman.
Ertmer, P. A., & Simons, K. D. (2006). Jumping the PBL implementation hurtle: Supporting the efforts of K–12 teachers. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 40–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1451-5015.1005
Eseryel, D., Law, V., Ifenthaler, D., Ge, X., & Miller, R. (2014). An investigation of the interrelationships between motivation, engagement, and complex problem solving in game-based learning. Educational Technology & Society, 17(1), 42–53.
Fischer, A. (2001). Critical thinking: An introduction. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Gee, J. P. (1999). An introduction to discourse analysis: Theory and method. London, UK and New York, NY: Routledge.
Gee, J. P. (2007). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Gresalfi, M., Barab, S., Siyahhan, S., & Christensen, T. (2009). Virtual worlds, conceptual understanding, and me: Designing for consequential engagement. On the Horizon, 17(1), 21–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10748120910936126
Halpern, D. F. (1999). Teaching for critical thinking: Helping college students develop the skills and dispositions of a critical thinker. New Directions for Teaching & Learning,
(80), 69–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tl.8005
Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Problem-based learning: What and how do students learn? Educational Psychology Review, 16(3), 235–266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:EDPR.0000034022.16470.f3
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Barrows, H. S. (2006). Goals and strategies of a problem-based learning facilitator. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning, 1(1), 21–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.7771/1541-5015.1004
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Lim, S. C., Cheung, W. S., & Hew, K. F. (2011). Critical thinking in asynchronous online discussion: An investigation of student facilitation techniques. New Horizons in Education, 59(1), 52–65.
Lovett, M. C. (2002). Stevens’ handbook of experimental psychology: Memory and cognitive processes. New York, NY: Wiley.
Lucas, K., & Sherry, J. L. (2004). Sex differences in video game play: A communication-based explanation. Communication Research, 31(5), 499–523. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093650204267930
Malone, T. W. (1980). What makes things fun to learn? A study of intrinsically motivating computer games (Report CIS-7). Palo Alto, CA: Xerox Palo Alto Research Center.
Malone, T. W. (1981). Toward a theory of intrinsically mo- tivating instruction. Cognitive Science, 5(4), 333–369. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog0504_2
Mayer, R. E. (2003). Learning and instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
McCall, J. (2012). Navigating the problem space: The medium of simulation games in teaching history. The History Teacher, 46(1), 9–28.
Moon, J. (2008). Critical thinking: An exploration of theory and practice. London: Routledge.
Moshirnia, A., & Israel, M. (2010). The educational efficacy of distinct information delivery systems in modified video games. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 21(3), 383–405.
Murphy, P. K., Wilkinson, I. A.G., Soter, A. O., Hennessey, M. N., & Alexander, J. F. (2009). Examining the effects of classroom discussion on students’ comprehension of text: A meta-analysis. American Psychological Association, 101(2), 740–764. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0015576
National Research Council (1996). From analysis to action: Undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2011). Learning science through computer games and simulations (Committee on Science Learning: Computer Games, Simulations, and Education, A. A. Honey, & M. L. Hilton, Eds.). Washington, DC: National Academies Press, Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.
Nicholson, S. (2012). Completing the experience: Debriefing in experiential education games. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Society and Information Technologies, 117–121. Winter Garden, FL: International Institute of Informatics and Systemics.
Nystrand, M., Gamoran, A., Kachur, R., & Prendergast, C. (1997). Opening dialogue: Understanding the dynamics of language and learning in the English classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
OECD. (2003). The PISA 2003 assessment framework: Mathematics, reading, science and problem solving knowledge and skills. Paris, France: OECD.
Paul, R. (1995). Critical thinking: How to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Santa Rosa, CA: Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Perkins, D. (1998). What is understanding? In M. S. Wiske (Ed), Teaching for understanding: Linking research with practice (pp. 39–57). San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.
Postman, N. (1997). The end of education. New York, NY: Knopf.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital game-based learning. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Shaffer, D. W. (2005). Epistemic games. Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 1(6).
Squire, K. D. (2006). From content to context: Videogames as designed experience. Educational Researcher, 35(8), 19–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0013189X035008019
Squire, K. D. (2008a). Open-ended video games: A model for developing learning for the interactive age. In K. Salen (Ed.), The Ecology of Games: Connecting youth, games, and learning (167–198). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Squire, K. D. (2008b). Video game-based learning: An emerging paradigm for instruction. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 21, 7–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/piq.21139
Squire, K. D., DeVane, B., & Durga, S. (2008). Designing centers of expertise for academic learning through video games. Theory Into Practice, 47, 240–251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405840802153973
Squire, K. D., Giovanetto, L., Devane, B., & Durga, S. (2005). From users to designers: Building a self-organizing game-based learning environment. Tech Trends, 49(5), 34–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02763688
Steinkuehler, C. (2006). Massively multiplayer online video gaming as participation in a discourse. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 13(1), 38–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327884mca301_4
Watson, W. R., Mong, C. J., & Harris, C. A. (2011). A case study of in-class use of a video game for teaching high school history. Computers & Education, 56, 466–474. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.09.007
Wertsch, J., Del Rio, P., & Alvarez, A. (Eds). (1995). Sociocultural studies of mind. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Wright, J. C., Houston, A. C., Vadewater, E. A., Bickham, D. S., Scantlin, R. M., & Kotler, J. A. (2001). American children’s use of electronic media in 1997: A national survey. Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 31–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0193-3973(00)00064-2
Xin, M. (2002). Validity centered design for the domain of being engaged: Collaborative discourse in computer conferencing (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Bringham Young University, Provo, UT.
Young, M. F., Slota, S., Cutter, A. B., Jalette, G., Mullin, G., Lai, B., . . . Yukhymenko, M. (2012). Our princess is in another castle: A review of trends in serious gaming for education. Review of Educational Research, 82(1), 61–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0034654312436980