Tracing Individual and Group Identity Exploration Trajectories in Augmented Curricular Activities

• In Event: Perceptions and Identities in Learning Environments

Abstract

This paper report findings from the final iteration of Virtual City Planning (VCP3), a play-based course which was designed and implemented using Projective Reflection (PR) in an NSF CAREER study (Author, 2014). VCP3 engaged 19 freshmen high school students in a 4-week gamified experience involving play, curricular activities, reflection and discussion (PCaRD, Author, 2015) to scaffold students’ exploration of role possible selves in environmental science and urban planning. We traced identity exploration trajectories as defined by PR; that is, changes in one’s knowledge, interest/valuing, self-perception/self-definition, self-organization/self-control (KIVSSSS) over three phases- starting self, exploration of role possible selves, and new self. Using Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), we visualized changes in Oliver’s (pseudonym) identity exploration and compared it with his group.

Authors

• Hamideh Talafian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Mamta Shah, Elsevier

• Amanda Barany, Drexel University

• Aroutis Nathaniel Foster, Drexel University