Digital Simulation Games for Social Studies Classrooms

Using Game-Based Learning to Foster Critical Thinking in Student Discourse

“…The effects of such game-environments on engagement during history instruction is documented in several studies (Devlin-Scherer & Sardone, 2010;Watson, Mong, & Harris, 2011). One of the few empirical studies of history learning and video games was conducted by Moshirnia and Israel (2010), examining 74 undergraduate students' learning across three conditions-a pretest-posttest control group that received PowerPoint instruction, a pretest-posttest group that played Civilization IV, and a posttest-only group that also played the game.…”

Signature Pedagogy: A Literature Review of Social Studies and Technology Research

“…For example, the American Museum of Natural History (American Museum of Natural History, 2011) provides a series of virtually guided, interactive tours of their exhibits that help students to experience history as if they were present. Games, simulations, and virtual worlds allow students to participate in computer-modeled versions of the past in an immersive environment (Barton & Levstik, 2003;Berson & Berson, 2007Devlin-Scherer & Sardone, 2010;Friedman et al, 2009;Sherman & Hicks, 2000). For example, Deadwood 1876 utilizes the virtual world known as Second Life to provide a rich, historical setting in which to role-play historical interactions in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota, circa 1876 during the Black Hills Gold Rush (Second Life Wikia, n.d.).…”

Inovatyvus požiūris į socialinės atsakomybės ugdymo(si) prielaidas

“…For some games, students will need prior preparation in content knowledge. For example, college students who played Dafur is Dying in one research study were unaware of the genocide or the geography (Sardone & Devlin-Scherer, 2010b). Starting with a small group rather than the whole class enables a teacher who is new to gaming pilot the directions, get a sense of the pacing, and prepare for the questions students may ask as they play.…”