The objective of this award is to support the PI in developing a clearer operationalization of the two constructs "projective reflection" and "possible selves," which the PI sees as potentially transformative ideas for linking strands of research from creativity, inquiry and identity in the context of game design and game play.
The project will convene a workshop of leading researchers in the learning sciences, experimental design, instrumentation, and game design to advise the PI on how these ideas can be refined to construct dependent measures and guides to observation of behavior. These behavioral advances would then inform the PI's design of a learning game platform. The workshops would also inform the design of a set of experiments to test conjectures related to the role of identity formation in the learning of STEM knowledge. The ultimate target audience for the game would be middle and high school science and mathematics classes.
The products and other deliverables will include project reports on the blueprints for designing both electronic STEM games, and the experiments to test the conjectures about the effectiveness of two now refined constructs of "projective reflection" and "possible selves." If the workshop leads to successful blueprints, these will be shared with the larger game design communities in education via publications and conference presentations, and the PI's research website. The longer-term broader impact of the work would be to lead to richer instructional electronic games, and more valid and reliable indicators of learning.
The objective of this award was to support the development of a clearer operationalization of the construct "projective reflection" which is seen by the researcher as a potentially transformative idea for linking strands of research from creativity, inquiry, and identity in the context of game design and game play. The project convened a workshop to aid the researcher in operationalizing projective reflection. It yielded the following outcomes: Operational definition of Projective Reflection (PR)- PR was operationally defined as ‘the process by which a person who is engaging in digital gameplay constructs and/or enacts an identity in a game that has the potential to modify the person’s possible future self and lead to a new sense of identity in a domain.’ Figure 1 illustrates projective reflection as an identity change process from projective identity to possible selves as learners’ develop knowledge and motivation to learn through the Play Curricular activity Reflection Discussion (PCaRD) model (Foster, 2012; Foster & Shah, In Press) to support a transformative process for learning to create a new self. Students who engage in the process of projective reflection are expected to manifest change in identity in a particular area under focus. A definition of the key identity change constructs are as follows- Projective Identity is the combination of a person’s real characteristics (current self) projected onto a game character with a different set of skills. Together the real and virtual characteristics create a third identity – the projective identity in the game. Possible Selves represent how individuals think about their potential and their future. It represents what individuals could become, would like to become, and are afraid of becoming. Current self represents the self as is in the present and is connected to possible selves. Possible selves are derived from the current selves. See Figure 1: Projective Reflection Process with games using PCaRD The process of facilitating Projective Reflection- Projective Reflection (PR) is a process conceptualized through the Play Curricular activity Reflection Discussion (PCaRD) pedagogical model of game-based learning to explain and to facilitate the integration of a temporary identity of a student playing a game (i.e., the student’s projective identity) with a student’s possible future identity (a possible self) outside a game. Projective reflection is the intervention process as a person’s current self is transformed from one state to a new one through the process of identity change (projective reflection). The difference is seen after establishing characteristics of the start self at the beginning, applying the projective reflection process, and then determining the new self at the end of the experience based on differences seen between the start and new selves. Specifically, during the projective reflection process, students’ playing of the game along with curricular and reflective activities and discussion will support the goals of taking on aspects of selves (thinking like a scientist, value what scientists value, science content knowledge, how they see themselves, what they believe, etc.). In this process students are encouraged to intentionally reflect on selves. Thus, they will begin to internalize and change. Table 1 provides a snapshot of identity change as a result of the projective reflection process. CAREER Outline The workshop provided guidance in creating an outline for a CAREER research program focusing on the further refinement of the model. This CAREER project has since been funded as "CAREER: Projective Reflection: Learning as Identity Exploration within Games for Science’ was recently awarded (#DRL1350707). The project began on August 1, 2014 and will be carried out until July 31, 2019. The longer-term broader impact of the work would be to lead to richer instructional electronic games, and more valid and reliable indicators of learning. Citations of publications Foster, A. & Shah, M. (under review). Knew me and new me: Facilitating student identity exploration and learning through game integration. Special Issue on Transmedia and Games. International Journal of Gaming and Computer Mediated Simulations Foster, A., Shah, M. & Feldman, A. C. (submitted). Projective reflection through games. Paper submitted to the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 16 to 20 Reference Foster, A. & Shah, M. (in press). The Play Curricular activity Reflection Discussion model for game-based learning. Journal of Research in Technology Education, 47(1). Foster, A. (2012). Assessing learning games for school content: The TPACK-PCaRD framework and methodology. In D. Ifenthaler, D. Eseryel & X. Ge (Eds.), Assessment in Game-based Learning: Foundations, Innovations, and Perspectives (pp. 201-216). New York: Springer.
