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Fostering Interest in Science
Through Interactive Exploration
of Astronomy Simulations
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation under Grant No. 1713609. Any opinions,
findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the National Science Foundation.
https://whimc.education.illinois.edu/
HELLO!
@ImSherryYi
Research interests:
STEM retention, motivation/interest/engagement, STEM & informal learning,
entertainment technologies
Educational psychology
Division: Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning
Fostering Interest in Science
Through Interactive Exploration
of Astronomy Simulations
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation under Grant No. 1713609. Any opinions,
findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the National Science Foundation.
https://whimc.education.illinois.edu/
Fostering Interest in Science
Through Interactive Exploration
of Astronomy Simulations
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation under Grant No. 1713609. Any opinions,
findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the National Science Foundation.
Fostering Interest in Science
Through Interactive Exploration
of Astronomy Simulations
Theoretical Framing: Interest
Situational interest refers to the
likelihood that particular content,
activities, or events will trigger a
response in the moment that will
hold over time.
Individual interest refers to
ongoing and possible
deepening of a person’s
relation to particular content.
Renninger & Hidi (2016). The Power of Interest for
Motivation and Engagement. Routledge.
Theoretical Framing: Interest
Triggered situational
interest
↓
Maintained situational
interest
↓
Emerging individual
interest
↓
Well-developed individual
interest
Situational interest
Individual interest
Renninger & Hidi (2016). The Power of Interest for
Motivation and Engagement. Routledge.
Theoretical Framing: Interest
Renninger & Hidi (2016). The Power of Interest for
Motivation and Engagement. Routledge.
What interest have you sustained or
lost throughout the years? Which
“phase” did you experience?
Talk to a neighbor!
Informal learning
King, N. S., & Pringle, R. M. (2019). Black girls speak STEM:
Counterstories of informal and formal learning experiences. Journal
of Research in Science Teaching, 56(5), 539-569.
●Most learning in a lifetime happens in
informal settings (Banks et al., 2007)
●Student interest in science is typically
cultivated in nontraditional venues
(Basu & Barton, 2007)
●Science in informal environments can
increase learning opportunities &
broaden the participation
(Basu & Barton, 2007; Falk et al., 2016;
Feinstein & Meshoulam, 2014; Jones,
1997)
Motivation
▪A lot of research has gone into the
design & efficacy of educational games
Instructional techniques to facilitate
learning & motivation of serious games
(Wouters & Van Oostendorp, 2017)
▪
Examples: adaptivity/assessment,
feedback, advice, collaboration,
modeling, reflection
▪Kids are already playing many STEM-relevant
games, like Minecraft.
▪
Is it affecting them? If so, how?
12
Fostering Interest in Science
Through Interactive Exploration
of Astronomy Simulations
“
HOW MUCH IS THE
VIDEO GAME
INDUSTRY WORTH?
$134,900,000,000
Total revenue from 2018
100%
Wallet drainer
$43,800,000,000 America (2018)
Even gender ratio for games
RELEVANCE
▫Culture
▫Offer a common experience
▫Provides meaningful + contextualized learning
(Gee, 2008)
NOVELTY & ENGAGEMENT
▫Entertaining
▫Engage middle school readers
performing below grade level + early
college students who don’t understand
subject material (Squire, 2008)
VIDEO GAME STRENGTHS
Games in science classrooms
Yi, S. (2019). Beyond Button Smashing: Utilizing Minecraft and Other Video Games as
Synchronous Learning Tools for Science Learning. In Educational Technology and
Resources for Synchronous Learning in Higher Education (pp. 188-210). IGI Global.
Crystal Island
Pathogens
Spore
Evolution, natural selection
MinecraftEdu
Chemistry
“
HOW MANY COPIES
OF MINECRAFT HAVE
BEEN SOLD?
How can we leverage that power for generating interest in STEM?
May 17, 2019 176 million copies sold
What-If Hypothetical
Implementations in
Minecraft
6/12/18
NSF SITE VISIT
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science
Foundation under Grant No. 1713609. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the National Science Foundation.
CORE TEAM
•Dr. H. Chad Lane (PI) U of I
Sherry, Brian, Phil, Jack, Aidan, Omer, Ashley, Mickey
Team & Responsibilities
22
ADVISORY BOARD
●Dr. Jeff Ginger
U of I & CU FabLab
●Dr. K. Ann Renninger
Swarthmore College
●Susan Foutz & Becky Wolfe
The Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis
●Laura Huerta Migus Executive
Director at the Association of
Children’s Museums
Dr. Jorge Perez-Gallego
University of Colorado at
Boulder (Co-PI)
Dr. Neil F. Comins
University of Maine
(Co-PI)
WHIMC goals
1. Identify in what ways and to what extent use of existing
entertainment technologies (such as video games) may influence
STEM interest in young learners (ages 9-13).
2. Investigate how virtual learning experiences can be designed to
trigger situational interest in STEM, and astronomy in particular,
using hypothetical scenarios ("what-if" questions).
3. Investigate influence of virtual learning experience designed to
trigger interest on re-engagement in STEM.
23
Year in Review
27
Technical aspect
Backend
29
Preliminary visualizations of behavior
https://jackah2.github.io/mcie-viz/
30
Minecraft taxonomy
Lane, H., YI, S., Guerrero, B., & Comins, N. (2017). Minecraft as a Sandbox for STEM
Interest Development: Preliminary Results. In Workshop Proceedings of the 25th
International Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 387-397).
Camper – observations
31
Data Collection
Data Collection Sites
●Fab Lab
●Children’s Museum of
Indianapolis
●Learn 01
●UNCC
●Next Generation School
Methods
●Surveys (pre & post)
●1-on-1 & pair interviews
●Fieldnotes
●Statistical analysis
Theoretical Framing: Interest
Renninger & Hidi (2016). The Power of Interest for
Motivation and Engagement. Routledge.
Survey - STEM attitude
Survey - Minecraft attitude
What does the student like doing most in Minecraft?
How are these actions mapped to STEM?
Interviews (15 - 45 min)
HOME & SCHOOL
Do you like playing video games? Where do you play them mostly? Do you have to follow any special rules?
MINECRAFT PLAY
What’s your favorite thing to build in MC in either mode? How do you plan on building it?
MINECRAFT & THE REAL WORLD
Was there anything cool you saw in MC and thought it would be great to have in the real world? Why?
ASTRONOMY KNOWLEDGE
Can you tell me about the Moon? How does it affect us here on Earth?
Summer 2018
Urbana Neighborhood
Connection Center
● Sandbox games have the
potential to trigger situational
interest in science & astronomy -
if it’s accessible and paired with
guided instruction
● MC can be a way for adolescents
to interact with STEM topics in a
digital environment Yi, S., Lane, H. C., & Delialioğlu, O. (in-press). What if We Were Twice as Close to the
Sun? Interview Findings from a Science Summer Camp Serving Underrepresented Youth.
Paper presented at the Foundations of Digital Games, San Lois Obispo, California.
Mini-lectures
Mini-lectures
Initial schedule (1-4pm)
▪INTRO OR RECAP
▪MINI LECTURE
▪EXPLORE
▪MINI LECTURE
▪EXPLORE
▪TUTORIAL
▪(FREE TIME)
Mini-lectures
Rough daily structure (1-4pm)
▪INTRO OR RECAP
▪EXPLORE
▪MINI LECTURE
▪(TUTORIAL ON THIRD PARTY
PROGRAM)
▪FREE TIME
The “Digital Divide”
● Video game consoles are the most commonly owned
tech/communication devices among minorities
(Leith & Cotten, 2014)
● Video game experience seems to promote computer
self-efficacy and alleviate emotional costs
(Ball, Huang, Cotten, & Rikard, 2018)
Tackling “Digital Divide”
▫Technical
▫All new Internet
▫SOS server issues
▫Laptop configurations
▫Logistical
▫Learning faces… fast!
▫Misunderstandings of camp intent
▫Campers’ unpredictable schedules
We’re not alone!
Ames & Burrell (2017)
Zorn, Wingrave, Charbonneau, & LaViola (2013)
CHALLENGES AT UNCC
Oop!
PITFALLS OF VIDEO GAMES
COST
Is MC at home?
TIME
Is there time to play?
EFFECTIVENESS
Do sandbox games work for everyone?
TRANSFER
How would results be in a longitudinal study?
LESSONS LEARNED
BE FLEXIBLE
We added redstone which wasn’t part of the plan.
BE SENSITIVE
To unique backgrounds and experiences.
ALLOW TIME FOR PLAY,
CUSTOMIZATION, SELF-INITIATION
We let them build houses instead of creating maps.
EXTERNAL REWARD?
“Can I have candy?”
“Dr. Lane, can I show you this cool thing I did?”
How can we effectively reach
underrepresented populations via
technology (“digital divide”)?
Is the use of technology justified?
RESEARCHERS
Do I feel supported in my teaching
methods? Will I have tech help if I need
it?
How much time can I allocate to learn
this program and teach with it?
PRACTITIONERS
Implementing videogames in
classrooms
(a loose timeline)
1. Decide on learning goal(s) for the course.
2. Decide on teaching materials for the course.
3. Train teacher and staff on how to use the
video game and any additional technologies
involved.
4. Set up/configure the digital space (divide into
multiple sections, specific rooms with purpose,
etc.).
5. Provide a live overview of the game
mechanics for students prior to the start of
class.
Our Next Proposal
1. Same core idea:
What-if Questions can be powerful and play a role in interest development
Game engines can be used to awaken STEM-relevant imagination
2. Expand reach
Translation of work into planetarium shows
Downloadable camp materials, videos, curriculum, maps, tools
Camps and afterschool versions in use in more places (Miami, Denver, Maine)
Online/Sever-based end-to-end experience
3. Technological, Measurement, and Theoretical advances
Detect fluctuations in interest over time, track development on server
Tools for behavioral analysis, intelligent support for learning & engagement
56
New Partners
57
Potential Partners
SIGN UP FOR WHIMC NEWS!
http://bit.ly/WHIMCnews
59
THANK YOU!
https://whimc.education.illinois.edu
SLIDES AVAILABLE ON RESEARCHGATE
@IMSHERRYYI
sherryyi.com
Yi, S. & Lane, H. C. (2019). Fostering Interest in Science Through Interactive
Exploration of Astronomy Simulations [Google slides]. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Htl85I5KKoz7wrh6oJlybpUjMhVEkfv
7_jQI55Ffm60/edit?usp=sharing
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