Search

The purpose of this study was to investigate the affordances of participatory simulations by comparing students' models of engagement and science learning outcomes in a multi‐team participatory simulated game (MPSG) and a single‐team participatory simulated game (SPSG). Two versions of a mobile‐based game about marine fishery management were created. Participants were 105 seventh‐grade students in Taiwan. Research instruments included a Science Game Engagement questionnaire and a Marine Ecosystem and Sustainability Test. Students' interviews and classroom videos were also collected. Students' models of engagement were analyzed by using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, and comparisons of subscales of engagement and learning outcomes were made by Analysis of Covariance statistics. The results showed that the students in the MPSG group had a higher level of behavioral engagement and better learning achievement than the students in the SPSG group did. Also, in exploring the interrelationships among the subscales of students' engagement, we found that, in the SPSG group, students' behavioral engagement was positively predicted by their emotional engagement, while in the MPSG group, it was positively predicted by their social engagement. In both groups, behavioral engagement predicted cognitive engagement. This finding was supported by the video data in that more interactions among the group members were observed in the MPSG group. This indicated that the multi‐agent, dynamic modeling in the MPSG may have shifted the quality of the learners' social interactions. The affordances of participatory simulated games are discussed, and future research directions are provided. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Participatory simulations allow users to participate in simulations by controlling one of the roles in the system which models real‐life settings. Dynamic modeling is an essential feature of participatory simulations that allows the learners to see the exact impact of their participation on changes in the system.Students who learned with the participatory simulations showed significantly better reasoning in concept building and fewer misconceptions than with conventional simulations.However learners can overly emphasize racing to win in multi‐agent participatory simulations and tasks in participatory simulations can be too challenging for some learners.What this paper adds We compared students' engagement models in two versions of a participatory game–a multi‐team participatory simulated game (MPSG) and a single‐team participatory simulated game (SPSG). We found that in the MPSG social engagement predicted behavioral engagement while in the SPSG students' emotional engagement played an important role.Students who participated in the MPSG had better performance in system thinking than the students in the SPSG.Implications for practice and/or policy Dynamic modeling is not only authentic for simulating certain scientific phenomena but also it offers the affordances of improving the quality of learners' social interactions. This should be taken into account in the future design of educational simulations.A multi‐team design of participatory simulation taking advantage of competition among teams and collaboration within teams can help students to learn complex phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital game‐based learning (DGBL) is a frequently adopted mode for facilitating teaching and learning, where learners are immersed in game contexts to engage in gameplay and to construct meaningful knowledge. However, without guidance, students might have difficulties organizing what they have experienced in gaming contexts. Thus, in this research, a multidimensional repertory grid (MDRG) approach was proposed, and a digital game was implemented accordingly. Moreover, an experiment was executed in a geography course to examine the effectiveness of the strategy. A total of 83 high school students (15.5 years old on average) participated in the experiment. The experimental group learned with the multidimensional repertory grid‐based educational game, while the control group learned with the conventional gaming mode. The analysis results revealed that the experimental group had better learning achievement as well as higher learning motivation, self‐efficacy and metacognition awareness. In addition, the behavioral analysis and interview results revealed that those learning with the proposed strategy had a greater tendency to promote higher order thinking. Accordingly, the limitations and suggestions for future research are provided. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic Digital game‐based learning is an effective teaching approach that enables learners to effectively acquire knowledge in joyful contexts, hence enhancing their learning achievement and learning motivation.Suitable strategies should be embedded in games to enable students to have a higher level of thinking ability and to improve their academic performance.In view of guiding students to observe from multi‐dimensional perspectives, a repertory grid is believed to be a suitable tool since it enables students to observe different learning objects according to different aspects and elements.What this paper adds A multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based educational game (MDRG game) was developed to facilitate students' learning achievement, learning motivation, and self‐efficacy as well as their metacognition awareness.In addition to promoting students' learning outcomes, students' learning behavioral transition diagrams were presented and interview results were analyzed in this study.Implications for practice and/or policy Traditional graphs or tables could help students memorize and understand features of learning objects; however, it is not easy to promote students' higher order thinking skills of making comparisons and reflections from multiple dimensions.The multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based feedback provides students with systematically organized information to make comparisons and reflections, which furthermore enhances students' higher order thinking competences.Embedding suitable strategies (e.g., multi‐dimensional repertory grid‐based feedback) in games can effectively improve students' learning performance without increasing their cognitive load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]