Simulated Sustainable Societies: Students’ Reflections on Creating Future Cities in Computer Games

Nilsson, Elisabet M.; Jakobsson, Anders

doi:10.1007/s10956-010-9232-9

Cited by 40 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…To learn how to solve problems or to perform the cognitive process of problem solving (e.g. understanding, characterizing, representing, solving, reflecting, communicating and reasoning) using games was also the focus of some work like Moreno and Mayer (2000) and Nilsson and Jakobsson (2011).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights on lean gamification for higher education

Deif

2017

IJLSS

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Purpose-There is no argument that using games (gamification) is an efficient way of learning in higher education. The questions, though, are which gamification approach is most suitable at that level and how to assess its suitability? This paper aims to attempt to partially answer these two questions, in the context of lean thinking education. Design/methodology/approach-The paper offers an assessment criteria to investigate the impact of lean gamification based on the evaluation of motivational, cognitive and social processing during games. In addition, a study is conducted among selected games using these assessment criteria. The study included statistical as well as comparative analysis. The study was based on a sample of undergraduate students learning various lean thinking concepts through physical games over the course of six months. Findings-Results showed different interaction levels between the three evaluation criteria depending on the type and design of the lean game. The reported scores and analysis drew various lessons on how to use gamification in the context of lean teaching, outlined some best practices in lean games design and suggested recommendations in mapping lean games from industrial domain to higher education domain. Research limitations/implications-The scope of this research was bounded by the sample size of students as well as the selected nine lean thinking games. Larger pool of students as well as other lean thinking games can offer further insights and confirm the outlined ones. Practical implications-The presented work will help lean thinking educators in higher education to better understand the student dynamics associated with engaging them in this type pf pedagogical approach. It will help guiding lean thinking games' designer on how to better cater for this segment of lean thinking learners. Finally, it will aid in promoting lean gamification as an effective learning tool. Social implications-The social impact is achieved through enhancing lean thinking education to a wide number of students. This will positively impact the society through the application of the effective lean tools at different stages, levels and places in these students' life experiences. Originality/value-This study offers one of the very few applications in gamification assessment in the context of lean thinking. Furthermore, it integrates the social processing criterion for the first time with the classical two other criteria (motivation and cognitive) used in games education assessment. Finally, it offers new insights for lean thinking game designers for higher education learners.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights on lean gamification for higher education

Deif

2017

IJLSS

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“…and GeoNet reinforce basic geographic literacy (Brysch, Huynh, and Scholz 2012), others like SimCity and Minecraft challenge the player to think critically and creatively, and to solve problems with definite spatial dimensions. Action games have been found to enhance spatial cognition (Feng, Spence, and Pratt 2007), while CBGs and other simulation/strategy games encourage the player to exercise adaptive critical reasoning while continually critiquing different theories and strategies (Gaber 2007;Nilsson and Jakobsson 2011). The rules of the simulation, and the ways in which the game responds to user input therefore necessarily help shape players' perceptions of real-world systems and their geographies.…”

Section: Video Games As a Medium For Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They may also help to reinforce adaptive critical reasoning as students confront the many challenges of running a city (e.g., traffic, pollution, crime, natural disasters, negative cash flow, waste accumulation, citizen unrest). Other studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CBGs in reinforcing critical-thinking skills and introducing students to geographical patterns and processes (Adams 1998;Nilsson and Jakobsson 2011;Ting and Yang 2012;Kim and Shin forthcoming). At the university level, and particularly when used in planning education, however, the limitations and inaccuracies of these games limit their utility in understanding complex urban processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gods of the City? Reflecting on City Building Games as an Early Introduction to Urban Systems

Bereitschaft

2015

Journal of Geography

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For millions of gamers and students alike, city building games (CBGs) like SimCity and the more recent Cities: Skylines present a compelling initial introduction to the world of urban planning and development. As such, these games have great potential to shape players' understanding and expectations of real urban patterns and processes. In this article I argue that, despite the fundamental role of agency in CBGs and other sandbox type games, players are constrained by the developers' assumptions and biases regarding how cities ought to look and function. Of particular consideration is the tendency among CBGs to emphasize personal transportation over transit, autocentric over mixed-use development, and simplified social dynamics over a more realistic model.

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“…They can be used as a reflective and meta-cognitive tool, or an artefact, which helps to make teachers aware of the extent to which students can use and apply scientific concepts and theories in contextualised situations (Nilsson & Jakobsson, 2010). Along these lines, Barab and Dede (2007) argue that video games can offer contextualized learning situations in which students have the chance to broaden their understanding of science-related topics.…”

Section: Video Games In Formal Learning Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution and natural selection: learning by playing and reflecting

Blanco‐Herrero

Castillo

Monjelat

et al. 2014

J. New Approaches Educ. Res.

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Scientific literacy is more than the simple reproduction of traditional school science knowledge and requires a set of skills, among them identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence. Several studies have indicated that playing computer games in the classroom can support the development of studentsʼ conceptual understanding about scientific phenomena and theories. Our paper presents a research study where the role of the video game Spore as a learning tool was analysed in a Biology class. An ethnographical perspective served as the framework for the organization and development of a workshop comprised of five sessions with 22 4 th grade students, and their Biology teacher.The results show that this video game could become an interesting learning tool to improve studentsʼ understanding of evolution and natural selection. The students could combine their previous knowledge with the academic knowledge obtained though the simulation presented by the video game. To sum up, an attempt has been made to give some empirical guidance about effective approaches to the utilisation of games in classrooms, additionally paying attention to a number of concerns related to the effectiveness of video games as learning tools.

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Simulated Sustainable Societies: Students’ Reflections on Creating Future Cities in Computer Games

Cited by 40 publications

References 28 publications

Insights on lean gamification for higher education

Insights on lean gamification for higher education

Gods of the City? Reflecting on City Building Games as an Early Introduction to Urban Systems

Evolution and natural selection: learning by playing and reflecting

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