The Impact of Game Strategy on the Development of College Literacy

• In Event: Plugged In: The Potential of Technological Innovations to Improve College Readiness, Access, and Success

Abstract

Although African American and Latino students are highly likely to have their college plans affected by their high school college counselors (Corwin et al., 2004; Lee & Ekstrom, 1987; Plank & Jordan, 2001), these students most often have underprepared counselors and/or counselors without dedicated counseling duties (Corwin, et al., 2004; Paul, 2002). Existing college access resources are often delivered in passive formats (i.e. students listen to a college recruiter lecture about a campus or students navigate a mouse around a text-heavy website) rather than engaging formats. Access to effective guidance resources has far reaching effects not just on whether or not students apply to college but also on college persistence rates, because a good college fit increases the likelihood of college completion.

In response to these concerns, researchers and game designers at the University of Southern California have collaborated on the development of a game-based, transmedia college access tool kit. The current version of the game (a card game prototype for an online version) is designed to grow college aspirations, teach strategies for applying to college and for financial aid, incentivize students to take actual real-life steps towards college readiness, improve college going efficacy, and illustrate connections between high school, college and career.

The Collegeology project is grounded in research on college access, social cognitive theory, and game design theory. The overarching concern guiding the project is understanding the role that game-based strategies, transmedia approaches, and digital technologies play in positively impacting the aspirational development and college-going plans of under-represented students. Games have been shown to positively influence aspirations, empower learners, and promote learning through engaged social mediation (Gee, 2003, 2004; Kirkley & Kirkley, 2004; Reese, 2009; Solberg et al., 1993). Gee (2004) argues that people learn best when learning is situated within familiar contexts. The Collegeology game provides the opportunity for players to familiarize themselves with an unknown entity – the world of college – and in doing so, learn terms, skills and strategies conducive to college readiness. This paper focuses on the research question: In what ways does the Collegeology intervention enhance students’ college and financial aid efficacy and literacies?

Data derive from observations of school-based playtest sessions with 220 high students from low SES backgrounds and questionnaire data. Preliminary findings revealed that: (1) the Collegeology game expanded students’ awareness and knowledge about college admission and financial aid processes, (2) assisted students in learning college terminology focused on college and financial aid application processes, and (3) enabled students to make multiple parallels between their college going lives and the “lives” of their fictional characters in the game.

Understanding how the Collegeology game-based technology influences the development of college going efficacy and college literacy contributes to larger discussions about technology, and has the potential to affect the evolving landscape of digital resources available to college ready students – in particular to underserved students.

Authors

• Zoe Corwin, University of Southern California

• William G. Tierney, University of Southern California

• Gisele Ragusa, University of Southern California

• Tracy J. Fullerton, University of Southern California