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Case Study #1

Team 6: Eric Regalado, Zachary Simmons, Dawson Valdes

Dr. Sarah Evanick. Dr. Laura Otero

California State University Monterey Bay

School of Computing and Design

September 11, 2023

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Case Study #1

Preliminary Analysis Questions

1. Identify the different barriers Micahel encountered when he tried to convince school
district personnel to implement the games in middle school classes. What questions
do you think educational game designers must consider when designing a game for
K-12 contexts?

Barriers Michael Encountered:

● Finding a school district that was interested in pilot-testing the games
● Administrators were skeptical and did not want to risk their proficiency test scores.
● The districts that were interested in the games had several concerns. How much time
would the game-based learning take? Would the average student need help to figure out
how to play the games?
● With the computing resources available, districts using a common curriculum would not
be able to implement the use of the games because the topics were being taught
simultaneously among all classes. Each class has limited access to school computers as
they only have enough computers for one class.
● The finality of the software. It still had game-crashing bugs. The pilot test also required
extra student work, like pre-tests, surveys, and interviews.
● Legitimization of different learning strategies and models that aren’t conducive to
statewide learning standards and assessments.

Questions Educational Game Designers Should Consider:

● What hardware is available to students to play these games?
● What grade and learning level are the students?
● Considering the other learning occurring outside the game, what is the maximum
cognitive load the target audience can maintain?
● What does assessment look like when it comes to educational games?
● How do you train educators to properly facilitate an educational game?

2. What arguments could Michael make to convince school administrators and

teachers about the potential benefits of educational games?

● Self-directed learning (alternative and various approaches to accomplishing the same

learning goals) that supported grade-level concepts and inquiry standards.
● He would also cite the results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress
(NAEP) that correlated a games approach to higher test scores versus a traditional
tutoring software.
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● Interactive and immersive, with no multiple-choice assessments, storytelling provides

students with hands-on virtual experiences that would help children who are bored stay
engaged with the material when presented through a game.
● Supports critical thinking skills, far more impactful than simply modeling and
regurgitating information.

3. Why does Michael feel so strongly about not putting the game in an after-school
program? Discuss the pros and cons of Michael's decision.

If only advanced students used the games, this would imply that not all students would benefit
from the games.

Pros:
1. Michael stood his ground in regard to the mission and overall purpose of the
educational game.
2. Federal funding was for traditional classroom settings and for a broad reach of
students. The funding was based on developing and honing a model to use
technology to increase the engagement of ALL students in scientific inquiry.
(Ertmer et al., 2019) He wants this to be utilized not just by “gifted” students but
by any students.
3. He wanted to implement Next Generation Science Standards, emphasizing critical
thinking and inquiry-based problem solving rooted in how science was practiced
in the real world.
4. If the game was introduced in only after-school programs, students would not be
as engaged as in a traditional classroom setting.
Cons:
1. Micahel needs evidence. Currently, without any test subjects, he is unable to show
districts the positive impact the game has in a classroom setting.
2. Much more difficult to test his games, but if they were used in the classroom, it
would be a more definitive experiment on their effectiveness.
3. Not recognizing the diverse learning environment of a traditional classroom
setting.
4. Needed more time to deliver the final product.

Implications for ID Practice

1. What characteristics of middle school learners must designers consider when

planning educational games? Provide specific examples.
● When planning an educational game for middle school students, designers must
consider the characteristics of their audience.
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● In middle school, there is a wide array of types of learners. It is essential to decide

who the target audience is: advanced students, average students, or struggling
students. The cognitive load that each of these types of students in this age group
can bear is very different. Solutions for this could include creating games that
cater to a wide range of students. Understanding developmental differences and
designing it in a way where there could be different levels of understanding. (Easy
vs. Hard mode)
● It is also essential to consider what outcome is desired. Is it a change in behavior,
knowledge, or cognition to be measured? This determines the approach to be
used, whether it is a behavioristic, constructivist, or cognitivist approach to be
used.
● Because of their age, middle school learners have limited previous knowledge,
skills, and experience. Do they know what negative numbers are yet? What
critical thinking skills do they have? What kind of social skills do they have?
Have they ever used this type of computer or software before?
● Middle school students are increasingly becoming more interested in curriculum
connected to real-world applications and concepts. (Caskey et al.,2007) Creating
games that have natural inquiry built in but with concrete analysis afterward to
synthesize learning. (i.e. a final test of learning built into the game. It’s important
that the game is open-ended and not as directive. (Choose your own adventure vs
just clicking “next”)
● Middle school learners prefer interactions with peers and favor active over
passive learning experiences. (Caskey et al., 2007) This includes creating
opportunities for students to engage with each other through team projects,
discussions, etc.

2. Identify the different contexts in which an educational game might be played and
how those contexts affect design decisions.

There are many different contexts in which an educational game might be played. These
different contexts affect various game design decisions. If a game is to be played solo, it
would be different than a game to be played by a group. A game could be played in a
formal environment where their performance is being evaluated, such as in the classroom,
summer learning program, or home school. The game could also be played in informal
learning environments where no evaluation is taking place, like an extracurricular club or
recreationally at home. Additionally, if the game is supervised or facilitated by an
educator, parent, or tutor versus playing it self-directed could affect learning outcomes
and design decisions.
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3. How can teachers assess student learning through educational games?

Teachers have various ways to assess what a student has learned from an educational game
including:
● Interviews
● Pre- and Post- Testing including formalized assessments or reflection questions
● Surveys
● Activities demonstrating acquired skills and knowledge at different touch points
throughout the game
● Additional curriculum that can build off of concepts introduced in the game that tests
student’s learning (i.e. punnet square exercises, identifying recessive genes, scientific
method strategies, etc.)

4. How are the factors affecting the adaptation of a game in this case similar to or
different from efforts to introduce other innovations in schools?

Resource allocation is a top priority in schools, and when dealing with innovative
technology like this, there are resources required that make adapting the curriculum more
difficult. The case study mentions that they need the computer labs for other courses, and
science classes can't take 8 days in the lab for the game. (Ertmer et al., 2019) Situations
like this pose limitations on what innovations can be possible in a traditional classroom
setting.

Whether it is a new device or a curriculum being introduced, innovations must

demonstrate a benefit before adopting them. “There are a variety of innovations that
caught on outside of classrooms, and once they were really polished, started being
adopted by schools.” (Ertmer et al., 19)
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References

Caskey, M. M., & Anfara, V. A., Jr. (2007). Research summary: Young adolescents’
developmental characteristics. Retrieved 6/14/2013, from
Ertmer, P.A., Quinn, J.A., & Glazewski, K.D. (Eds.). (2019). The ID CaseBook: Case Studies in
Instructional Design (5th ed.). Routledge.
Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2018). Trends and issues in instructional design and
technology (4th ed.). Pearson.