teaching scientific inquiry with a serious game

Teaching Scientific Inquiry with a Serious Game

Carol Forsyth, University of MemphisKeith Millis, Northern Illinois University

Art Graesser, University of MemphisDiane Halpern, Claremont McKenna College

The Problem…

People need to learn how to critically evaluate descriptions of research . . .

Th

CorrelationalDesign

Causal statement

. . . and claims made by advertisers and the media

A solution…

• Important concepts among psychology, sociology, biology and chemistry:

• Developing Research Ideas• The Independent and Dependent Variables• Experimental Control• The Sample & Experimenter• Drawing conclusion• (21 concepts altogether)

Teaches Scientific Inquiry Skills

An epic story …

Love interests Political

intrigue

Surprises RevengeSuspense

AliensUncertainty SpiesSaving

the world “Green” theme

Mystery Double-agents

Secret messages

HumorTwists

and turnsDefectors

Aliens are publishing flawed research. . .

and the Federal Bureau of Science (FBS) want you to help them find out

why. . .

The story is told through

Animated agents

Emails, texts, news updates

Videos

Module 1: Interactive Text

Student reads an eBook “The Fuath’s Big Book of Science”

Provides requisite knowledge for later modules

Student takes test after each chapter or may test out of reading the chapter

Module 2: Case Studies Students apply

information from the interactive text

Evaluate flawed “published” research

Learn to identify flaws

Various game-like attributes

Module 3: Interrogation Students seek out whether

research contains flaws

Research cases are abbreviated (e.g., abstracts, headlines, ads)

Learn to ask relevant questions about research

Learn to discriminate flawed from good research

Example contentPsychology

Does using cell phones hurt driving?Is a new cure for autism effective?

BiologyDo chemical and organic pesticides differ on food quality?Does milk consumption increase bone density?

ChemistryDoes a new product for winter roads prevent water from freezing?Does different concentrations of bromine and cyclohexane affect chemical reaction speeds?

FormatsArticles, advertisements, blogs, letters to editors

Internal Assessments

Multiple choice testsTutorial dialogsCase evaluations

3 Types of “trialogs” – matching prior knowledge with dialog moves

Human player

Tutors

Vicarious: when player shows low knowledge

3 Types of “trialogs” – matching prior knowledge with dialog moves

Human player

Standard: when player shows intermediate knowledge

Tutors

3 Types of “trialogs” – matching prior knowledge with dialog moves

Human player

Tutors

Teaching: when player shows high knowledge

• Glass (fellow student): Let’s just go over the importance of these things one more time. Why do we need to have operational definitions? (question)

• Laura (human student): so that they can be reliably measured and used by other researchers• Glass: OK. (neutral feedback)• Dr. Quinn: (FBS Teacher): Um, can you add to that? (pump)• Laura: it is important to create operational definitions because they

provide a basis for measuring variables and so that they can be reliably measured and used by other researchers in other studies.

• Glass: That is not clear to me. I thought operational definitions had something to do with telling others about your study. What could that be? (Hint)

• Laura: how to measure a variable.• Glass: I still don't understand. Wow, it seems like operational definitions have

something to do with being able to reliably do something. What is that something? (prompt)

• Laura: measure a variable• Dr. Quinn: Okay. Reliably recognize variables (neutral feedback, prompt completion)• Glass: I'm remembering something about how operational definitions make it so

that a variable means the same thing to all researchers. That means that when other researchers use the same variable, it is what? (prompt)

• Laura: reliable• Dr. Quinn: Great! It is reliable (positive feedback, prompt completion)• Glass: Yeah, I understand. Operational definitions are important to consider

because they allow a particular variable to be reliably recognized, measured, and understood by all researchers. (summary)

Example Teaching Trialog

eLearning principles implemented in

Operation ARIES!

• Active learning• Immediate feedback• Dialog interactivity• Multimedia effects• Distributed practice• Transfer

Knowledge gained by students from each college

Summary

• Geared toward High school seniors, students in Research methods courses, and Introductory Psychology, Biology and Chemistry courses

• All interested adults• Takes 7-15 hours to complete• “Lite” version is planned• Available through Pearson

Education starting in 2012

Keith Millis, Ph.D.Northern Illinois University, Cognitive psychologist, language comprehension

Diane F. Halpern, Ph.D.Claremont McKenna College, past president of the American Psychological Association. Internationally known for work on teaching critical thinking

Art Graesser, Ph.D.Co-director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Memphis, expert in discourse technologies, widely published

Lead Developers

For more information:

cmfrsyth@memphis.edu