The Warp and Woof of Game-Centered Dialogic Activity Cycles in a Science Inquiry Unit

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Technology-Based Learning Environments for STEM Education

Abstract

In this design study, we develop and examine a high school physics curriculum organized around the design of a multi-user videogame on qualitative physics phenomena. Players explore the dynamics of charged particles by manipulating fields across game-centered dialogic activity cycles. The game design engineers progressive discourse with physics by discretely bounding a sequence of triad gameplay, triad debriefings, and whole class presentation forums. Analyses consider how gaming engages students in scientific inquiry, how sequences of activity structures enlist gaming experiences in increasingly formal discussions, and how cycles of gameplay and discussion shape subsequent participation. Contrasting case studies of group trajectories underscore the plausibility of this design approach while also illuminating design tensions surrounding progressive discourse.

Authors

• Steven J. Zuiker, Arizona State University

• Kate T. Anderson, Arizona State University