Farmtasia: A Case Study of Knowledge Building Processes in Game-Based LearningBY CHERRY ROSE TAN

Sustained work with ideas To create new knowledge is to “discuss, interconnect,

revise, and supersede” existing ideas (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003)

Requires a large amount of knowledge Success requires cultural change (environment) Process needs to be sustainable to lead to innovation

Matthew effect “The more you know, the more you can

learn” (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003) Inaccessibility for certain communities Gaming platforms as a way of breaking

barriers – e.g. physical, economical, social Innovation concentrated on select fields –

e.g. technology (Silicon Valley)

Three-dimensional digital game-based learning (3D-DGBL)

Literacy-historical spaces for interacting with other players, non-player characters (NPCs), and subject content (Neville & Shelton, 2010)

Players represented by avatars Are usually role-playing games (RPGs)

Why 3D-DGBL? Emulates real-world sites or scenarios that would be

inaccessible (Thomas, 2004) High engagement and skill delivery (Barab, Thomas, Dodge,

Carteaux, & Tuzun, 2005; Gee, 2003) Low threshold for participation

Thesis Three-dimensional digital game-based learning (3D-DGBL)

serves as an effective platform for: Knowledge building -> innovation (sustained work with ideas) Reducing the Matthew effect

Case study: Farmtasia

Farmtasia Created by the Centre for the Advancement of Information

Technology in Education (CAITE) Educational video game targeted towards knowledge building

Gameplay Players act as managers to individually run farms Concepts: cultivation, horticulture, pasturage Uses real-world and random events – e.g. natural disasters,

neighbourly competition

Purpose Goal: To create effective investment and operational strategies Winning variables: financial gain, public reputation

Knowledge building features1. Pedagogical scaffolding

2. Situated learning

3. Communal debriefings

1) Pedagogical scaffolding The use of interactive tools for feedback to support individual

and group contributions (Zhang, Hong, Scardamalia, Teo, & Morley, 2011)

Constructive uses of authoritative sources

Knowledge Manual – searchable resource bank accessed independently

Wise Genie – gives tips Teacher console – analyze, prepare, and

share information Record-and-replay function

Improvable ideas Zone of proximal development (Vygotsky) Multidisciplinary scaffolds

2) Situated learning “Missions, tasks, and problems that are generative and open-

ended, and there is no prescribed solution” (Jong et al., 2010)

Real ideas and authentic problems

Creating knowledge that is useful to themselves and their community

Event types: farm, market, mass-decision Farm – localized to individuals – e.g. fire

accidents, strikes Market – affects globally – e.g. price fluctuations Mass-decision – cooperation and collaboration to

succeed – e.g. building a dam

Epistemic agency Solving problems -> empowerment

Setting goals and long-range planning High engagement

Social responsibility -> validation

3) Communal debriefings Public blogging platform

Journal templates – scaffolds

Summative report to Mr. Lam – character whose farm is closing down

Collective responsibility Sharing and advancing ideas as a community Achievement of broader and more global

goals – e.g. environmental sustainability

Democratizing knowledge Public space makes ideas transparent and accessible (public objects) Transcends geographical and economic barriers

Conclusion 3D-DGBL environments allow us:

To transform ideas into public objects -> sustainability leading to knowledge building

To remove barriers to knowledge -> reducing the Matthew effect

Thank you!E-MAIL: CHERRYR.TAN@GMAIL.COM

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