Purple State Project - Exploring the Impact of Gamification and Role Play on High School Students' Argumentation Skills in Political Communications

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Writing Across Educational Contexts (Table 5)

Abstract

The "Purple State" project engaged high school students in current public policy issues. Students crafted media campaigns for fictional special interest groups. The study addressed the research question: How does gamification and role play impact the development of argumentation skills in high school social studies students? Existing literature suggested that gamification positively influences argumentation skills across various disciplines and education levels. Data from 127 high school students in Virginia and Wisconsin were collected, focusing on pre- and post-intervention argumentative writing skills. A Bayesian t-test indicated that the data were more consistent with a null hypothesis, suggesting no significant improvement in argumentation skills. The findings contribute to the field by providing initial insights into argumentation gains in a social studies context.

Author

• Christina Lee, University of Rhode Island