Problem Solving and Game-Based Learning: Effects of Middle Grade Students' Hypothesis Testing Strategies on Learning Outcomes

Abstract

Targeted as a highly desired skill for contemporary work and life, problem solving is central to game-based learning research. In this study, middle grade students achieved significant learning gains from gameplay interactions that required solving a science mystery based on microbiology content. Student trace data results indicated that effective exploration and navigation of the hypothesis space within a science problem-solving task was predictive of student science content learning and in-game performance. Students who selected a higher proportion of appropriate hypotheses demonstrated greater learning gains and completed more in-game goals. Students providing correct explanations for hypothesis selection completed more in-game goals; however, providing the correct explanation for hypothesis selection did not account for greater learning gains. From the analysis, we concluded that hypothesis testing strategies play a central role in game-based learning environments that involve problem-solving tasks, thereby demonstrating strong connections to science content learning and in-game performance.

Assessment of the usefulness and appeal of stigma-stop by psychology students: a serious game designed to reduce the stigma of mental illness

“…Serious Games have shown to be highly beneficial in various fields of education [9], problem solving [10], psychological interventions [11] and even job-oriented development of university students [12]. Nevertheless, "Stigma Stop" is the first Serious Game to date that focuses on providing information about mental illnesses and raising awareness among young people about this topic, thereby promoting sensitivity and empathy towards people who suffer from mental health problems.…”

Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Game-based Learning

“…For instance, students playing River City, which is a science inquiry game, had the ability to discover their learning environments separately, shaped their own hypotheses and managed their own experiments with the intention of solving the problem [4].…”

La competencia digital docente: análisis de la autopercepción y evaluación del desempeño de los estudiantes universitarios de educación por medio de un entorno 3D

“…En los últimos años se han publicado numerosas experiencias educativas relacionadas con los mundos virtuales en diferentes áreas y disciplinas, como por ejemplo en salud (Jin, 2011), cirugía (Patel, Aggarwal, Cohen, Taylor & Darzi, 2013), microbiología (Spires, Rowe, Mott & Lester, 2011), bellas artes (Doyle, 2010), diseño y arquitectura (Thomassen & Rive, 2010), comunicación y aprendizaje de idiomas (Jauregi, Canto, de Graaff, Koenraad & Moonen, 2011), o el aprendizaje de competencias transversales (Cela, Esteve, Esteve & Gisbert, 2014). En un estudio publicado por Wang y Burton en 2012 se presenta la revisión de más de 100 artículos publicados en revistas científicas entre 2006 y 2011 sobre las aplicaciones educativas de estos entornos virtuales 3D, especialmente Second Life.…”