Leveraging Digital Game Design in an Informal Science Learning Environment to Motivate High School Students in Biology

• In Event: Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Instructional Technology SIG: Sociocultural and Motivational Factors in Game-Based Learning

Abstract

Presented is an investigation of a project designed to leverage Spore™ and Spore Galactic Adventures™ where 8 high school students designed games in evolutionary biology. We used the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation as our framework (a) to help instructors understand how motivation research and theories can be applied, and (b) to examine the impact of instruction on students’ motivation. Areas of significance include: 1) project was developed, and implemented within the context of leveraging digital media for informal science learning; 2) use of the MUSIC Model demonstrates how such a framework can provide a lens to examine students’ motivation; and 3) context of the program allows for incremental scalability of the program to other sites through user-generated content.

Authors

• Michael A. Evans, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Brett D. Jones, Virginia Tech