Seeing the Bigger Picture: Supporting Systems Thinking Through Designing Digital Systems

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Abstract

A mastery of systems thinking concepts helps provide youth with an effective lens for seeing, engaging, and making change in the world. In contrast to prior approaches to systems thinking rooted in the biological, physical, and social sciences, this session aligns itself with a new approach evolving from the field of game design, extending our understanding of systems thinking engagement through design-based activity, and is closely tied to youths’ interests in digital media. We highlight innovative design work that emphasizes videogame design and digital storytelling as a means of learning about systems and present evaluation findings from three diverse field sites that have taken up this approach to systems thinking and 21st Century learning.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Systems Thinking in Education

Chair

• Katie Salen, Parsons The New School for Design

Papers

• Systems Thinking in Designed Games - Melissa Sommefeld Gresalfi, Vanderbilt University; Sinem Siyahhan, California State University - San Marcos

• Fostering Systems Thinking Through Digital Storytelling in Scratch - Rafi Santo, Indiana University - Bloomington; Kylie A. Peppler, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Assessing a Games-Based Approach to Systems Thinking Through the Development of 21st-Century Skills at Quest to Learn - Valerie J. Shute, Florida State University

Discussant

• Joshua Adam Danish, Indiana University