Navigating Failure in a Museum-Based Videogame: Convergent and Divergent Mechanisms of Collaboration as Potential Levers for Informal Learning About Climate Change
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The need for well-designed learning experiences about modern, anthropogenic climate change is great. In light of this need, many scholars have looked towards museums, arguing that as trusted institutions of informal learning, museums are uniquely positioned to support public engagement with contentious, impactful issues like climate change. However, while several museum exhibits have emerged over recent years, empirical research on museum-based learning experiences remains quite limited. We take a step towards advancing understanding of museum-based climate change learning through an empirical investigation at a natural history museum in the US. This study examines learners’ collaborative discourse within one exhibit about climate change, a multiplayer video game called Utah Climate Challenge (UCC). Investigating moments of failure and struggle, we analyze learners’ forms of collaboration through moment-to-moment discourse analysis. Findings demonstrate the importance of scaffolding multiple types of collaboration, as well as the potential for a collaborative, museum-based videogame to support learning of important science concepts relevant to climate change.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Science Education and Technology is an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of original peer-reviewed, contributed and invited research articles of the highest quality that address the intersection of science education and technology with implications for improving and enhancing science education at all levels across the world. Topics covered can be categorized as disciplinary (biology, chemistry, physics, as well as some applications of computer science and engineering, including the processes of learning, teaching and teacher development), technological (hardware, software, deigned and situated environments involving applications characterized as with, through and in), and organizational (legislation, administration, implementation and teacher enhancement). Insofar as technology plays an ever-increasing role in our understanding and development of science disciplines, in the social relationships among people, information and institutions, the journal includes it as a component of science education. The journal provides a stimulating and informative variety of research papers that expand and deepen our theoretical understanding while providing practice and policy based implications in the anticipation that such high-quality work shared among a broad coalition of individuals and groups will facilitate future efforts.