1
School Research Goes Galactic
> Using Game Design to Reimagine Middle School Research Projects
By SHEENA KELLY
ISTE Standards for Students
Prepare to Blast Off!
I grew up as the first console gaming systems were just hitting the retail market. I remember plugging a joystick into my grandfather’s Commodore 64 computer, and I still play my original Super Nintendo gaming system. During my secondary school years, the concept of making mundane tasks into fun and engaging games was not a part of people’s everyday experiences. But as far back as I can remember, I have owned at least one gaming console. Today, I own seven different devices to play games on. And today’s students are even more likely to own gaming consoles earlier in their lives. In the book Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Learning with New Media, the authors state, “Gaming represents the central form of early computer experience for kids” (Ito et al., 2010). My gaming isn’t confined to the computer, of course. I was raised playing all kinds of games with family and friends. I love board games like Sorry, card games like Fluxx, puzzle games like Portal, racing games like Mario Kart—really all of the games.
The Veritas Galaxy
As the teacher librarian for grades 6–12, I have the opportunity to teach information literacy skills in collaboration with a variety of different departments. I work on Veritas most closely with middle school social studies teachers. I’m fortunate to work with a group of educators who, with few hesitations, jumped on board when I proposed, “What if we taught students how to research…but in space?” As a K–12 school, we can vertically align our information literacy skills instruction to ensure students graduate with a thorough understanding of how to find and retrieve information in a variety of formats, evaluate that information using several criteria (see Appendix A), and synthesize and apply that information in new contexts. With the classroom teacher’s content knowledge and my understanding of the American Association of School Librarians Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, I built a world where truth was the highest value: The Veritas Galaxy (see Figure 1.1). At the heart of the game is the idea that a process of inquiry can lead to deeper understanding of the world around us. With every new Luddite encounter, students must ask good questions to propel them in their process of discovery.
Figure 1.1. Screenshot of backstory for Veritas Galaxy.
Figure 1.2. Creating an avatar student assignment.
> Achievers “give themselves game-related goals, and vigorously set out to achieve them.” Goals can be built into the game in the form of assessments (like boss levels) but don’t have to be that big. Smaller components can be built in for players to unlock as they progress.
> Explorers “try to find out as much as they can about the virtual world.” The game universe should be complex enough to not bore the Explorers. Don’t feel, however, that you must have all of the details set in stone before beginning gameplay. Students can always discover or unlock new areas as the game progresses.
> Gladiators “use the tools provided by the game to cause distress to (or, in rare circumstances, to help) other players.” A component of most games is the option of doing harm to another player. Think of the game Sorry where players are encouraged to send their opponents back to the starting line. A little friendly rivalry will help keep Gladiators motivated and engaged.
> Socializers “use the game’s communicative facilities…as a context in which to converse (and otherwise interact) with their fellow players” (Bartle, 1996). It’s important to allow students time to talk and collaborate, and this is especially true for Socializers. Offer opportunities for students to interact with each other throughout the game. For example, the research projects I lead are done in pairs or small groups, but I try to facilitate additional mingling outside of these core partner groups.