03.29.18 | Post-class Reflection

During today’s working session, our team aligned on what our proposed intervention will look like, from a high level. There are three stages: 1) camp, 2) game, 3) real-world application at home, and 4) real-world application at a community organization. Getting more specific, learners will receive a non-digital game that lets them solve problems by: applying knowledge and skills they learned in camp (e.g. water cycle, pH testing) with their families, and using deductive reasoning. Then, they will start applying the same skills to problems in real-life contexts, starting with their immediate surroundings and progressing to engaging with a local organization.

Grounding our specific project in learning theories will ensure we campers meet goals including: gaining skills we believe are important for 21st century naturalists, and sustaining engagement and motivation. A few models we are using are: Following a Learning Flow Model, Integrating 6 Facets of Understanding, and Attracting Attention.

We are attempting to integrate some of the following strategies into gameplay: giving students ambiguous information, encouraging them to search for information themselves, and teaching their family members. Employing these strategies will lead to better learning; identifying useful information is a critical thinking skill, and teaching is a good way to organize one’s own mental models.

The last thing we did in class was develop a problem statement for our game.

Students will extend their learning from camp by analyzing tests, using deductive reasoning, identifying organisms, and teaching, thereby furthering their connection to nature and fostering their curiosity.

For next steps, we will:

• brainstorm game ideas
• flesh out learning theories w/our specific ideas
• create storyboard(s) and identify areas we want feedback