Learning by Making
The “4 Ps” that Drive Interactive Design
How do we learn?
This question has inspired cognitive psychologists and educational theorists alike for decades, but what does it have to do with creating interactive media? Let’s look at the theories of learning that form the foundation of the 4 Ps philosophy.
The Theories
Humans are hardwired to learn. According to Jean Piaget’s Constructivist learning theory, every experience we have aids in our construction of knowledge and meaning. That is to say, our understanding of the world is actively evolving as we experience it.
Seymour Papert, a protege of Piaget, took this conception of learning a step further. He is the creator of Constructionism, a learning theory that suggests that humans build new knowledge best “in a context where the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe.” It can most easily be summed up as “learning-by-making.”
Interactive media is ubiquitous in our contemporary lives; its everyday use intrinsically involves it in the building of new knowledge structures. If we learn best by making, by doing, then interactive media is a powerful tool in shaping our understanding of the world.
So, without further ado…
Projects. Passion. Peers. Play.
These are the 4 Ps that represent Seymour Papert’s ideals, according to his pupil at MIT, Mitchel Resnick.
In essence, learning and engagement occur most in the context of projects that learners approach playfully and are passionate about, which they develop with the support of peers.
Resnick gives a more thorough run down of Papert’s influential ideas in the MIT Media Lab’s Medium article he wrote, “The Seeds That Seymour Sowed.” Papert’s ideas, as represented by the 4 Ps, guide research in Resnick’s research group, Lifelong Kindergarten.
Interactive Design
The 4 Ps extend beyond traditional educational environments into the society that we collectively construct and participate in. They define a worldview, a lifestyle. As Resnick puts it, “Seymour’s ideas provide a vision for the type of society that I want to live in.”
As the line between “human” and “technology” blurs, we must come to understand that the tools we make are reflective of who we are. Therefore, we should put as much good into the world—via the design of our interactive experiences—as we can.
The following rates interactive media as “magic,” able to stand the test of time. Views represent only those of this author.
Magic: Minecraft
Bringing Minecraft to school is one example of the gamification of learning, or using games as instructional aids. This sandbox game has been a critical hit since its first launch, and its open-endedness allows for infinite creativity.
The original game, now known as Minecraft: Classic, was launched in 2009. In 2010, developer Markus “Notch” Persson set up a video game development company called Mojang, and Mojang was acquired by Microsoft in 2014. In 2016, Minecraft: Education Edition was launched.
Educators love Minecraft because it allows kids to work together with their peers on projects that connect to real life (see this example about fighting forest fires), in a medium they are already passionate about playing outside the classroom. This makes it both an excellent learning tool and game.
Multiplayer servers allow collaboration — or M.A.D. Players make and share “mods” of the game online, enriching an already expansive game to include even more content. And Creative Mode gives players the ability to freely shape the world as they see fit.
The overall flexibility of Minecraft makes it absolute magic.
Conclusion
If the 4 Ps are a shoe, then that shoe does not fit or belong on every foot. I think many pieces of interactive media do not require a built-in social function that allows peers to connect (although communities may spring up around these otherwise solo experiences). Not every piece of interactive media is meant to be playful, either.
However, the 4 Ps are an amazing shoe, full of utility and expression. For the interactive media that is intended for use as an educational aid, ensuring that its use follows Resnick’s learning philosophy will allow it to be at its most effective in any classroom.
More than that, I think that we should look at the kind of society that the 4 Ps entail: a community that brings together a diverse group of peers to engage with relevant projects. A culture that centers passion and play.
For those of us who are now adults, I think we can learn something by giving in to delight, and then sharing it.
