Teaching Complex Problem Solving Through Digital Game Design

Mete Akcaoglu, Charles B. Hodges, Philipp Sonnleitner, Antonio P. Gutierrez, Antonio P. Gutierrez de Blume

Research output: Contribution to conferencePresentation

Abstract

Society is facing increasingly complex problems. Hence, it is essential that learners develop the ability to solve complex, dynamic problems. As a design task, game-design is a promising method of teaching complex problem solving. In this study, students who attended an afterschool game-design course showed significant improvements in their complex problem solving skills, as measured by an interactive microworld (Genetics Lab), system exploration, t(10) = 2.787, p = .019, d=.734; system knowledge, t(10) = 2.437, p = .035, d=.84; system application, t(10) = 2.472, p = .033, d=.746. The results of the current study extend earlier findings where researchers observed game-design to be an effective method of teaching problem-solving skills and add that teaching of complex problem solving is also possible.
Original languageAmerican English
StatePublished - Apr 10 2016
EventAmerican Educational Research Association - San Antonio, TX
Duration: Apr 1 2017 → …

Conference

ConferenceAmerican Educational Research Association
Period04/1/17 → …

Keywords

  • Afterschool game-design course
  • Complex problem solving
  • Digital game design
  • Teaching

DC Disciplines

  • Education
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Curriculum and Social Inquiry

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