Digital Games as Analogical Sources for Science Learning

在这项由教育发展中心公司S儿童与技术中心进行的里斯媒体实证研究中，PI们系统地测试了不同设计特征的数字游戏支持科学学习的比较优势。他们的假设是，如果在类似领域的实践旨在帮助学习者更好地理解目标科学领域中难以理解的熟悉领域的那些方面，那么在学习者已经熟悉的领域中的经验可以帮助学生在科学领域中学习。他们正在三个科学领域探索这一具有代表性的假设：电学、光合作用和热传递。在第一阶段，他们比较了在每个领域为学习做准备的实践和经验，比较了在模拟游戏(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)中学习的准备。在这项工作的后期阶段，他们正在调查教师在帮助学习者将他们在游戏中学到的东西转移到解决科学领域的现实世界问题时，明确类比指导的作用和最佳实践。其目的是确定良好的做法，以帮助中级理科学习者巩固和转移概念理解，超越他们正在练习的问题。除了总结关于非模仿练习如何为学生做出贡献的教训之外？为了理解困难的科学概念，该研究还探讨了如何在游戏世界中使直观经验易于巩固和应用，以及在教学过程中显式类比映射作为支持目标科学概念的新概念模型的意义形成和巩固的方法所起的作用。他们认为，游戏的这些特征之间的相互关系是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理解和实践新科学概念的引人入胜的环境。然而，关于如何设计和实现教育游戏来支持对目标科学的深刻概念理解，目前还知之甚少。这个项目有可能改变开发科学学习游戏的方法，支持围绕困难的科学概念进行持续的意义形成和巩固，并促进概念理解的转移，超越学习者正在练习的问题。该项目正在产生关键的新知识，以指导学习经验和教学方法的发展，以支持中学科学学习，特别是满足困难学生的需求，他们需要更多参与和玩耍的方法才能深入学习。

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.