Collaborative inquiry play. A design case to frame integration of collaborative problem solving with story-centric games
| Pages | 547-566 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-03-2019-0024 |
| Date | 14 October 2019 |
| Published date | 14 October 2019 |
| Author | Asmalina Saleh,Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver,Krista D. Glazewski,Bradford Mott,Yuxin Chen,Jonathan P. Rowe,James C. Lester |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Collaborative inquiry play
A design case to frame integration of
collaborative problem solving with
story-centric games
Asmalina Saleh and Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver
Center for Research on Learning and Technology, School of Education,
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
Krista D. Glazewski
Department of Instructional Systems Technology,
School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
Bradford Mott
Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
North Carolina, USA
Yuxin Chen
Center for Research on Learning and Technology, School of Education,
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA, and
Jonathan P. Rowe and James C. Lester
Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh,
North Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to present a model of collaborative inquiry play: rule-based imaginary situations
that provide challenging problems and support agentic multiplayer interactions (c.f., Vygotsky, 1967; Salen and
Zimmerman, 2003). Drawing on problem-based learning (PBL, Hmelo-Silver, 2004), this paper provides a design
case to articulate the relationship between the design goals and the game-based learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach –Drawing on conjecture mapping (Sandoval, 2014), this paper
presents an iterative development of the conjecture map for CRYSTAL ISLAND:ECOJOURNEYS and highlights the
development of the story and tools in CRYSTAL ISLAND:ECOJOURNEYS, an immersive game based on PBL
pedagogy. By articulating this development, the authors highlight the affordances and constraints of
designingfor collaborative inquiry play and addresschallenges in supporting learner agency.
Findings –The PBL inquiry process served as the foundationof collaborative inquiry play. Attending to
the rules of inquiry fostered student agency, and in turn, playful engagement in the game-based learning
environment. Agency however meant holding students accountable to actions undertaken, especially as it
pertained to generating group-based explanations and reflecting on productive collaboration. Moreover,
socially shared regulation of learning and systems thinking concepts (i.e. phenomenon, mechanisms, and
components) must also be externalized in representations and interactions in the game such that students
have the agencyto decide on their learning paths.
Originality/value –This paper presents the model of collaborative inquiry play and highlights how to
supportplayer agency and design content-rich playenvironments which are not always completelyopen.
Keywords Play, Socially shared regulated learning, Problem-based learning, Collaborative inquiry,
Game-based learning, Complex systems
Paper type Case study
Integration of
collaborative
problem
solving
547
Received31 March 2019
Revised30 July 2019
Accepted10 September 2019
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.120 No. 9/10, 2019
pp. 547-566
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-03-2019-0024
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-5348.htm
Educational research has shown that game-based learning environments provide playful
contexts that allow participants to immerse themselves and extend their identities, engage
in collaborative problem solving and complex literacy practices, and develop expertise in
their communities of practice (Turkle, 1995;Gee, 2003;Klopfer et al.,2005;Squire, 2006). In
these contexts, play can be defined as grounded in real social experiences yet includes
imaginary contexts and roles that extend the individual beyond their current abilities (Fein,
1981;Leslie, 1987;Nicolopoulou, 2007;Vygotsky, 1967). In a similar vein, scientific inquiry
in games can also involve authentic experiences that leverage challenging and meaningful
roles. Thus, games can providethe context for rich scientific inquiry, encouraging learning
of content and engagement with scientific practices. However, supporting inquiry through
game-based learning environments is not a straightforward task in part because of the
difficulties in defining inquiryand the challenges of integrating play in educational contexts
(Pedaste et al.,2015;Dichev and Dicheva, 2017). Moreover, the success of inquiry-based
technologies for learning and teaching depends on multiple factors such as support in the
classroom and at the institutional level (Kim et al.,2007). These difficulties are further
compounded when oneis interested in designing for collaborative inquirylearning.
Given these issues, the current article discusses collaborative inquiry play, an approach
that utilizes problem-based learning (PBL), an effective social constructivist pedagogical
model. Collaborativeinquiry play is defined as:
rule-based imaginary situations that provide challenging problems; and
experiences that support agentic multiplayer interactions.
To unpack this definition, the article presents a design case of a collaborative technology-
based learning environment, called CRYSTAL ISLAND:ECOJOURNEYS. The main aim of the
research project is to deliver adaptive scaffolds for collaborative inquiry in the context of
learning about ecosystems by using intelligent agents. To understand how to design this
effectively and understand the natureof facilitation, the research team undertooka series of
design iterations, starting from focus groups to larger classroom studies. Drawing on
embodied conjectures(Sandoval, 2014), the article highlights the developmentof two aspects
of the design:
(1) the problem space, or context of the game-based learning environment’s story; and
(2) the brainstorming board, a shared collaborative space within the learning
environment.
The article illustrates the evolution of the embodied conjectures, and the importance of
small-scale iterations before concretizing these principles more broadly in a game-based
learning environment.In this case, the initial design of the problem space in the story-driven
game shifted from a focus on collaborative inquiry and the associated content outcomes, to
one that addressed the social interactionsin collaborative inquiry more explicitly. Given that
design iterations of how learningis integrated in game-based learning environmentsare not
always reported, it is hoped that shedding light on the process will illuminate how
researchers might effectively design collaborative story-driven games that also support
inquiry processes (Ke, 2016). The article first presents an overview of the design case and
the theoretical framework that informed the design of CRYSTAL ISLAND:ECOJOURNEYS, a game-
based learning environment developed as part of a five-year research project. Then, each
iteration of the embodied conjecture and associated field tests from the first three years of
the project are highlighted. Finally, key takeaways for designing for collaborative inquiry
play are presented.
ILS
120,9/10
548
To continue reading
Request your trial