© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014. An experiment A digital game for teachers and youth workers to better...

An experiment

A digital game for teachers and youth workers to better understand and respond to young people at risk


Experiential learning

‘If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. But if you let me experience, I will learn.’

Lao-Tzu5th century BC


OverviewBackgroundThe original board gameThe digital gameIdentifying audience: pre-service

teachersGame-based learning in the

tertiary sectorTesting Shaping DestiniesWhere to next?


BACKGROUND


Who am I?Over fifteen years, writing and editing,

including for DECD, Principals Australia, UniSA and Anangu Education Services.

Working in areas of social inclusion including:◦ Drugs and alcohol◦ Refugees◦ Disabilities◦ Improving literacy and numeracy outcomes◦ School disengagement and re-engagement◦ Child protection◦ Aboriginal cultural studies◦ School-based apprenticeships◦ Pre-service teacher units


ICAN and Social Inclusion Board/DPC

Interviews with +/-300 young people, their parents, case workers, teachers and any partners in learning delivery

Upper Spencer Gulf and the Adelaide northern, southern and north-western metro areas

Writing newsletters, website, books, evaluation reports, conference papers © Infoquest Pty Ltd

2014

SHAPING DESTINIES—THE OPPORTUNITY


Shaping Destinies—overview of history

2007 board game launched at ICAN conference

2013 digitised by IT students at UniSA for final year assignment

2014 trialled as a learning tool by 160 health science students.


History of Shaping Destinies

2007 ICAN state wide conference◦Used by 300

teachers, principals, youth workers and policy makers

◦40 printed copies—all quickly sold out to schools and youth agencies who used for staff PD


Why Shaping Destinies?

ICAN statewide conference 2007◦Lots of experts — ‘talking heads’◦Why not add a creative learning

tool that was immersive and interactive?

◦But what?


The challenge

To create a learning tool for: Teachers to better understand

the complexities of young people at risk of disengagement from learning

Youth workers to understand school contexts


Complex lives

Indigenous Poverty Young mums Family breakdown Health issues,

including mental health

Contact with juvenile justice system

Homelessness Drug and alcohol issues Isolation Refugees

•What was their lived experience of school? •What were their barriers to engagement with learning?

How could I get teachers to understand the complexity of young people’s lives if…


Learning through play?Play is known to be the medium

through which children learn. But also:‘Research from education,

psychology, and anthropology suggests that play is a powerful mediator for learning throughout a person’s life.’

(Rieper, 1996, p.43)


Role play?

‘Unlike most social games that are frequently competitive in nature, most role-playing gaming is cooperative, with no clearly defined winners or losers and potentially no defined end to the game.’

(Hawkes-Robinson, 2008, p.2)


My brief to myselfMarry the voices of 300 young people

at risk with the existing research, including risk and protective factors

Include the social determinants of health to demonstrate some yp identified as at greater risk

Demonstrate the complexities of school disengagement… and that neither dis-engagement nor re-engagement are linear but occur over time


My brief to myself (2)Not suggest that young people at risk can’t

succeedNot preclude other young people from being

at riskDemonstrate what works:◦Strong relationships between teachers and

students, which are positive, respectful, honest, sensitive, understanding and trusting

◦ Inclusive schooling practices and young person-centred learning

◦ Joined-up support with schools and agencies working together to offer engagement programs and sometimes wrap-around intervention


SHAPING DESTINIES— THE BOARD GAME(with pictures from the electronic game)


6 characters3 cohorts identified by Social Inclusion Board as being particularly at risk:

• Aboriginal young people• Young people living in

rural and remote areas• Young people under the

Guardianship of the Minister (foster children)

Also at risk:• Refugees

Not generally considered at risk:• A girl from the leafy

green suburbs• A boy from a tight knit

Italian family


Social determinants of health

• Each character is accorded a pre-determined number of counters based on the social

determinants of health, eg Sophie (leafy green suburbs) gets many more than Rex (Aboriginal)

• Players discuss what they think their character might achieve.

I wanted to begin by posing this challenge.

Teachers’ expectations and assumptions play a large role in the achievements of young people.

(Schilling & Schilling, 1999; Bamburg J, 1994; Gonder in Raffini, 1993)


Game playThree stages of schooling:◦Junior Primary School◦Junior High School◦Senior High School

Roll a spinner to move to an event◦limited to 1-3 rolls so multiple events

experienced at each stageEach event is positive, negative or

neutral


Transition pointsAt each transition from one stage of

schooling to the next:players discuss teacher expectations

and strategies: ◦ Is this what they had anticipated? ◦What might they have done differently? ◦What supports might they have brought in?

Depending on how many counters the character has, they will travel down one of two pathways on the next stage of schooling—either greater or lesser risk.


Game play—Junior Primary School

Individual customised pathway ◦eg Rex’s experiences on community

very different to Xanaan’s (the refugee, who is called ‘Anna’, as no-one can pronounce her name!)

Pre-determined number of counters added or removed, depending on effect of event on wellbeing


Game play—Junior High School

Pathway of greater or lesser risk determined by counters held

Common pathways for all characters (no longer individualised)

• Chance cards introduced (can be positive or negative):• gendered events (eg pregnancy)• Players determine effect of the chance card and

add or remove counters accordingly


Game play—Senior High School

Pathways of greater or lesser risk (ie now 4 pathways)

Players determine the effect of all eventsCharacters on ‘at risk’ pathways may be

invited into a re-engagement program ◦but may still experience risk events—neither

disengagement nor re-engagement are linear!

Those on the riskiest pathway may be provided with a wrap-around intervention, moving them across to a lesser pathway of risk


Potential destiniesFrom riskiest to least at risk:◦Juvenile justice encounter and

unemployment◦VET course◦Apprenticeship◦Potential university placement


SHAPING DESTINIES— THE DIGITAL GAME


Digitising the gameCounters replaced by ‘riskometer’

Assignment points at beginning; each transition stage; and at end

Case study generated at end of game. Case study includes any chance cards encountered, each with 2 critical questions for further investigation:◦How would you respond to this character’s

event? (Further advice, research)◦What preventative strategies could you employ

to increase wellbeing for young people?© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014

IDENTIFYING AUDIENCE—PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS


Why pre-service teachers?

Shaping Destinies board game sold wellSchools and agencies used for PDFeedback was very positiveBUTmaking change school by school is slow.

What if all graduating teachers had a better understanding of the barriers to engagement with learning?


The identified gapOf all the influences in school, teachers

make the biggest difference. (Hattie, 2003)

Many pre-service teachers are unprepared to effectively work with students at risk of disengagement.

(Seal, for DOXA Youth Foundation, 2009)

‘…specialist components on appropriate pedagogies for disadvantaged students be incorporated into all teacher training courses.’

(Gonski, 2011, p.140)


Interviews with graduate teachers

My teacher training didn’t prepare me at all [for working with disengaged kids]...there was nothing...nothing practical, it’s all theory....(Teacher 2)

The teacher training was very utopian...they say every student can be engaged, but I think that’s not true...and I understand why uni says that every student can be engaged but I think it’s also important to be realistic rather than just utopian. (Teacher 5)

I had no training at all to work with disengaged kids...there was none at all....there was no discussion on it except really briefly in tutorial discussions after our teaching rounds...no unit or subject...nothing as a formal part of our learning.(Teacher 6)

(Seal for DOXA Youth Foundation, 2009)


Unaddressed skillsHanson-Peterson identified nine skills to

address the urgent needs of students at risk. Of those, the following are not addressed in the AITSL National Professional Standards for Teachers (2011):◦ group/hands-on learning strategies◦ fostering autonomy and competence: treat

students like adults ◦ specialist support◦ targeted interventions◦ helping at-risk, disengaged students. (Hanson-Peterson for Brotherhood of St Lawrence, 2013,

p.2)


GAMES-BASED LEARNING IN THE TERTIARY SECTOR


What is gaming?Integral part of life for many

teenagers◦94% of 615 year olds play video

games◦57% of all gamers play either daily

or every other day.(Brand, 2012)

It’s the world in which they already live!


Serious gamesGames with a purpose other than

purely entertainment‘…exploit the game play

elements of digital games in applications that are not digital games.’

(Stewart et al, 2013, p.97)


Games-based learning—schools

Take up in primary and secondary education

‘2011 Innovating with Technology Games-based Learning Research Trials’ (Victorian Dept of Education and Early Child Development) found that using serious games in education led to ‘…significant increases in student motivation, confidence, effort and involvement in their learning…’


Games-based learning—tertiary

Take up of serious games in tertiary sector very limited.

Some take-up in science and medical fields (simulation)

Seen (a decade ago) as ‘challenging institutional education’.

(Schaffer et al, 2005, p.10)

Still early days: ‘games and gamification will be adopted into higher education over next 23 years’.

(Johnson et al, New Media Consortium, 2013, p.6)


Game-based learning:research evidence (1)

place students in convincing simulated environments which provide deep and meaningful learning experiences where they face authentic challenges

(Joiner, 2012; Kearney, 2010)

learn by doing whilst recognising how variables interrelate within complex issues, including social rights and poverty, without losing the connection between abstract ideas and real problems and solutions

(Shaffer, 2005; Joiner, 2012; Stewart et al, 2013)© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014

Game-based learning:research evidence (2)

collaborate and communicate in solving problems and gaining an understanding of principles and abstract concepts in areas considered more difficult to teach

(Kearney, 2010; Larsen McClarty et al, 2012) transform players from spectators into actors who

personalise meaning-making and experiment with new identities by inhabiting new worlds ‘within the ‘epistemology of a practice’—the valued grammar of the culture and practice— in which the situated understandings, knowledge, skills, identities and values are shaped

(Shaffer et al, 2005; Stewart et al, 2013) by permitting players to inhabit the roles of others, they

are ‘seeing the world through the eyes of that other’ and tend to filter out information that is inconsistent with their own points of view

(Tucker, 2012, p.3)© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014

Game-based learning:a caution

Embedding the learning:pre- and post-game discussions

are essential if deeper learning experiences are to be gained in which students can share different ways of approaching both the problems they encountered and their learning.

(Larsen McClarty et al, 2012)


TESTING SHAPING DESTINIES


160 student testers160 undergraduate health science

students at UniSA are using Shaping Destinies. Approached by Program Director, Bachelor of Health Sciences.

These are my observations:◦not my target audience—not

undergraduate teachers. But, health science students also need to understand social determinants of health and risk and protective factors


FindingsThey found the game immensely engaging, but

questioned authenticity of events. I had to remind them of the extensive research and voices of 300 young people that were embedded in the game!

Not keen to engage with the assignment pages which is where the richness and rigour lie. Why?◦ Assignments and reflective questions equally

applicable to health science students. ◦ These pages have an ‘academic’ feel—too great a

juxtaposition with the game? Maybe a more visual approach?

◦ Or was the game not sufficiently embedded into the learning delivery?

(Joiner, 2012 & Larsen McClarty, 2012)© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014

Student comments‘I see that young people who are at risk will continue on a path of ever-increasing risk if

there is no intervention’. Echoesadditive and multiplicative models of

predicting early risk in young people (Keogh & Weisner, 1993)

‘Both negative and positive experiences are "contagious" in that they establish chains of sequences or experiences. Put bleakly, children with one negative risk factor are more likely to have more risk factors.’

(Fuller, 2001, p.40)© Infoquest Pty Ltd 2014

Student comments‘I see now how important re-engagement and intervention programs are for young

people at risk.’Echoesresearch and evaluations that demonstrate

when re-engagement is offered through flexible learning options, with targeted support through partnerships, a high success rate in re-engagement of young people at risk is reported. (Social Inclusion Board, 2007 & 2009; Victorian Department of

Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010; NSW Attorney General and Justice, 2013).


Early daystoo early to draw any

conclusions about the learnings gained

Students will use the game again in four

weeks to see if their understandings have changed

complete a feedback survey.


WHERE NEXT?


My own critiqueWhilst each game play is unique,

it is a simple game, with outcome mainly determined by luck

A critical thinking toolPlayers cannot intervene in

character’s lives, but only respond to them (reality check)

Characters have no mouths (and thus no voices—reality check).


Ideas for practiceAs part of the undergraduate teaching degree◦with customised assignments◦ enriched by online discussions, Moodles or

closed Facebook groups◦with additional quizzes and a badging system◦ as an introduction prior to teaching prac, with a

follow-up research assignment into disengagement whilst on prac

◦with further ‘what-if?’ scenarios◦ playing multiple characters and comparing

events and outcomes◦with links to further research points, eg poverty,

homelessness


AspirationsCould teachers gain from Shaping Destinies an

understanding of how critical it is to: establish personal relationships and build

connectedness with students in ways that each student is valued

discover individual students’ passions and invite them to co-construct their learning so it is personalised and relevant

prepare them, in partnership with other agencies as needed, to gain the social, emotional and cognitive competencies to navigate a complex and changing world

recognise that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is ineffective if students are to successfully navigate school and become empowered to shape their own destinies.


REFERENCES


ReferencesAustralian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) (2011) ‘National Professional

Standards for Teachers’, Education Services Australia for MCEEDCYA

Attorney General & Justice (2013) ‘Youth on track: A model for early intervention with young people’, NSW Government

Bamburg JD (1994) ‘Raising expectations to improve student learning’, Oak Brook, Illinois: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, ERIC document ED 378 290

Brand J (2012)’Digital Australia’, Bond University for Interactive Games and Entertainment Association available at http://igea.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf (accessed 23 April 2014)

Department for Education and Child Development (2014) Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, Government of South Australia, Adelaide ( forthcoming)

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2010) ‘Pathways to re-engagement through flexible learning options: A policy direction for Consultation’, State Government of Victoria https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/stuman/wellbeing/Re-engagement_Pathways_Apr2010.pdf

Department of Education and Children’s Services (2007) Count me in! A resource to support ESL students with refugee experience in schools, Government of South Australia, Adelaide

Department of Education, Science and Training (2006) ‘Strengthening Family–School Partnerships, A Guide’, Commonwealth of Australia

Fuller, A (2001) A blueprint for building social competencies in children and adolescents, Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 1,1,40-48

Games for Change (undated) ‘Empathy-themed video games could change the way you think’: http://www.gamesforchange.org/clippings/seen-at-11-empathy-themed-video-games-could-change-the-way-you-think/ (accessed 18 April 2014)

Gonski D, Boston K, Greiner K, Lawrence C, Scales B & Tannock P (2011) ‘Review of funding for schooling: final report’, DEEWR, Australian Government


http://igea.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DA12FinalLinkVideo.pdf

http://www.gamesforchange.org/clippings/seen-at-11-empathy-themed-video-games-could-change-the-way-you-think/

http://www.gamesforchange.org/clippings/seen-at-11-empathy-themed-video-games-could-change-the-way-you-think/

ReferencesHattie J (2003) ‘Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence?’ Paper presented at the

Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne

Hanson-Peterson J (2013) ‘Do training programs equip teachers with skills to teach disengaged students?’, Brotherhood of St Lawrence, Fitzroy, Vic

Hawkes-Robinson WA (2008, revised 2011) ‘Role-playing Games Used as Educational and Therapeutic Tools for Youth and Adults’, academia.edu, available at http://www.academia.edu/3668971/Role-playing_Games_Used_as_Educational_and_Therapeutic_Tool_for_Youth_and_Adults (accessed 17 April 2014)

ICAN (20062010) Newsletters, available at http://www.ican.sa.edu.au/pages/learning/ (accessed 22 April 2012)

Johnson L, Adams Becker S, Cummins M, Estrada V, Freeman A & Ludgate H (2013).NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition, Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium

Joiner R, Darling J, Drew B & Huang Y (2012) ‘Digital game based learning for supporting undergraduate students’ learning of engineering in 3 different universities’, The Higher Education Academy, STEM

Kearney C (2010) ‘Poverty is not a game (PING): Handbook for teachers’, Network of European Foundations

Keogh B & Weisner T (1993) ‘An ecocultural perspective on risk and protective factors in children’s development: Implications for learning disabilities’, Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 8(1), pp.3-10

Larsen McClarty K, Orr A, Frey PM, Dolan RP, Vassileva V & McVay A (2012) ‘A Literature Review of Gaming in Education: Research Report’, Pearson, http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/Lit_Review_of_Gaming_in_Education.pdf

Raffini J (1993) ‘Winners Without Losers: Structures and Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation To Learn’, Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. ED 362 952

Response ability (2008) ‘Risk and protective factors’, Commonwealth of Australia, available at http://www.responseability.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/4922/Risk-and-Protective-Factors.pdf


http://www.academia.edu/3668971/Role-playing_Games_Used_as_Educational_and_Therapeutic_Tool_for_Youth_and_Adults

http://www.academia.edu/3668971/Role-playing_Games_Used_as_Educational_and_Therapeutic_Tool_for_Youth_and_Adults

http://www.ican.sa.edu.au/pages/learning/

http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/Lit_Review_of_Gaming_in_Education.pdf

http://researchnetwork.pearson.com/wp-content/uploads/Lit_Review_of_Gaming_in_Education.pdf

http://www.responseability.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/4922/Risk-and-Protective-Factors.pdf

ReferencesRieper RL (1996) Seriously Considering Play: Designing Interactive Learning Environments Based on the

Blending of Microworlds, Simulations and Games’, ETR&D, vol 44, no 2 pp.43–58Schilling KM & Schilling KL (1999) ‘Increasing expectations for student effort’, About Campus, 4:2 Seal I (2009) ‘Exploring the experiences of new teachers in working with students at risk of

disengagement’, DOXA Youth Foundation Shaffer DW, Halverson R, Squire KR & Gee JP (2005) ‘Video games and the future of learning: WCER

Working paper no. 2005-4, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Smyth J, Hattam R, Cannon J, Edwards J, Wilson N & Wurst S (2000) Listen to me I’m leaving: Early school leaving in South Australian Secondary Schools, Flinders Institute for the Study of Teaching, Department of Education Training and Employment & Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Australia, Flinders University, Adelaide

Social Inclusion Board (2007) Supporting young people’s success—forging the links, Government of South Australia, Adelaide

Social Inclusion Board (2009) Young people’s learning: a shared responsibility, Government of South Australia, Adelaide

Stewart J, Bleumers L, van Looy J, Mariln I, All A, Schurmans D, Willaert K, De Grove F, Jacobs A & Misuraca G (2013) ‘The potential of digital games for empowerment and social inclusion of groups at risk of social and economic exclusion: evidence and opportunity for policy’, JRC Scientific and Policy Reports, European Commission

Tucker D (2012) ‘Policy brief: Gaming Our Way to a Better Future’, Wilson Centre Victorian Dept of Education and Early Child Development (2010) ‘Pathways to re-engagement through

flexible learning options: A policy direction for consultation’, State of Victoria, available at https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/stuman/wellbeing/Re-engagement_Pathways_Apr2010.pdf (accessed 22 April 2014)

Victorian Dept of Education and Early Child Development (2011) ‘Innovating with Technology Games-based Learning Research Trials: Findings to inform school practice’, State of Victoria, available at https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/researchinnovation/findingsreport.pdf (accessed 25 April 2014)


https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/stuman/wellbeing/Re-engagement_Pathways_Apr2010.pdf

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https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/researchinnovation/findingsreport.pdf

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