Wake: Tales from the Aqualab - Game-Based Learning of Science Practices

Purpose & objective

Wake: Tales from the Aqualab is a new, free science game developed through NSF grant-funded research. The game addresses a need to support learning of science practices, and explores the use of game-based data to assess student learning progressions in science.

Participants will have the opportunity to try playing the game, taking on ocean-based ecosystem missions, and engaging in experimentation, modeling, and argumentation around middle school life sciences content. The session will also include ways to implement the game in classrooms - including associated curriculum and supplemental materials. The full game can cover 10+ classes, with over 35 jobs of increasing complexity, and an engaging storyline. We will describe our research using game data to evaluate and support learning of science practices.

Outline

5 minutes: Introduction, background, goals of the game
30 minutes: Hands-on game play by participants while presenter circulates, with breaks for small group discussion to share impressions, and opportunities for the presenter to answer questions that arise.
15 minutes: Presentation of the range of jobs and content covered by the full game, and how the game was designed with layers of complexity around the science investigations that students can explore. Discussion of curriculum around the game, and ways teachers have been using the game in classrooms.
10 minutes: Description of the use of game-based data to assess student learning and game progress, and future directions for research.

Supporting research

Metcalf, S. J., Sommi, A., Haddadin, S., Scianna, J., Gagnon, D. (2021). Work-in-Progress–—Game Design Informed by Learning Progressions for Science Practices. 2021 7th International Conference of the Immersive Learning Research Network (iLRN). 1-3. doi: 10.23919/iLRN52045.2021.9459406.

Kim, Y. J., & Shute, V. J. (2015). The interplay of game elements with psychometric qualities, learning, and enjoyment in game-based assessment. Computers & Education, 87, 340-356.

Kamarainen, A. M., Metcalf, S., Grotzer, T., & Dede, C. (2015). Exploring ecosystems from the inside: How immersive multi-user virtual environments can support development of epistemologically grounded modeling practices in ecosystem science instruction. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 24 (2), 148–167.