Digital Games as Analogical Sources for Science Learning

本研究是由教育发展中心所进行的REESE媒介实证研究。的儿童和技术中心（EDC/CCT），PI正在系统地测试数字游戏的不同设计特征在支持科学学习方面的比较优势。 他们的假设是，如果类似领域的实践旨在帮助学习者更好地理解在目标科学领域中难以理解的熟悉领域的那些方面，那么学习者已经熟悉的领域中的经验以及与目标科学领域类似的领域可以帮助科学领域的学习。他们正在三个科学领域探索这种代表性的假设：电学，光合作用和传热。在第一阶段，他们正在比较每个领域的学习准备的实践和经验，比较每个领域的学习准备在模仿游戏（让学习者有机会练习理解科学领域本身）和非模仿游戏（让学习者有机会更好地理解他们已经熟悉的类似领域）的背景下进行。在工作的后期阶段，他们正在调查教师明确类比指导的作用和最佳实践，因为他们帮助学习者将他们在游戏中学习的内容转移到解决科学领域的现实问题。其目的是确定良好的做法，帮助初中科学学习者巩固和转移概念的理解超出了他们正在练习上的问题。理解困难的科学概念，本研究还探讨了在游戏世界中的直观经验，巩固和应用的问题，以及明确的类比映射在教学过程中的作用，作为一种方法，支持意义的形成和巩固的新兴概念模型的目标科学概念。他们把游戏中这些特征之间的相互关系作为深入理解科学概念的步骤。某些类型的电子游戏有可能为学习者提供一个有吸引力的环境，让他们理解和实践新的科学概念。然而，目前还很少有人知道如何设计和实施教育游戏，以支持对目标科学的深刻概念理解。该项目有可能改变开发科学学习游戏的方法，支持持续的意义和巩固困难的科学概念，并促进概念理解的转移，超越学习者正在实践的问题。该项目正在产生重要的新知识，以指导学习经验和教学法的发展，以支持中年级科学学习，特别是解决那些需要更有吸引力和更有趣的方法来深入学习的学生的需求。

In this REESE medium empirical research study, being conducted by Education Development Center, Inc.'s Center for Children and Technology (EDC/CCT), the PIs are systematically testing comparative advantages of different design features of digital games in support of science learning. Their hypothesis is that experience in a domain learners are already familiar with and that is analogous to a targeted science domain can aid learning in the science domain if practice in the analogous domain is aimed towards helping learners better make sense of those aspects of the familiar domain that are difficult to understand in the targeted science domain. They are exploring this representational hypothesis in three science domains: electricity, photosynthesis, and heat transfer. In a first phase, they are comparing practice and experiences in preparation for learning in each domain, comparing, for each, preparation for learning in the context of a game that is mimetic (gives learners a chance to practice making sense of the science domain itself) and one that is non-mimetic (gives learners a chance to make better sense of an analogous domain they are already familiar with). In later phases of the work, they are investigating the role of and best practices for explicit analogy guidance by teachers as they help learners transfer what they are learning in the games to solving real-world problems in the science domain. The aim is to identify good practices for helping middle-grade science learners consolidate and transfer conceptual understanding beyond the problems they are practicing on. In addition to drawing out lessons about how non-mimetic practice can make contributions to students? understanding of difficult science concepts, the study also explores questions about making intuitive experiences in a game world accessible for consolidation and application and the roles of explicit analogical mapping during instruction as a method for supporting sense-making and consolidation of emergent conceptual models of the target science concepts. They are identifying the interrelationship of these features of game play as steps in coming to deep understanding of science concepts.Some kinds of electronic games have the potential to provide learners with engaging environments for making sense of and practicing use of new science concepts. Yet there is little known right now about how to design and implement educational games to support deep conceptual understanding of targeted science. This project has the potential to transform approaches to developing games for science learning that support sustained sense making and consolidation around difficult science concepts and that promote transfer of conceptual understanding beyond the problems learners are practicing with. This project is generating critical new knowledge to guide development of learning experiences and pedagogy in support of middle-grade science learning, especially addressing the needs of struggling students who require more engaging and playful approaches in order to deeply learn.