Designing Games and Virtual Environments to Facilitate Identity Change

• In Event: 34.058 - Design of Innovative and Active Learning Environments

Abstract

This paper characterizes the design features that facilitate learning as identity change in immersive virtual environments. We examined three exemplary science games, namely River City, EcoMUVE, and Land Science, using the Projective Reflection framework to identify the extent to which the design of the three games afforded opportunities for knowledge construction, interest and valuing, regulated actions, as well as self-perception and self-definition in science. Preliminary findings suggest that the three games were designed to facilitate knowledge construction and regulated action among learners. However, they provided limited opportunities for self-perception and self-definition, and construction of personal relevance for science. Projective reflection can be used to design games and teach with games for facilitating learning as identity change within specific academic domains.

Authors

• Aroutis Nathaniel Foster, Drexel University

• Mamta Shah, Drexel University

• Tamara Galoyan, Drexel University