Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
4937155 Computers in Human Behavior 2017 27 Pages PDF
Abstract
Project Tech engages secondary students (ages 14 to 17) in the process of digital game design in a variety of in-school, after-school, and secure settings. The goal of Project Tech is to leverage students' interests in games and design to foster their problem-solving in a supportive environment where they learn to create games about a social issue they have experienced personally. The present study compares the in-school special needs version of Project Tech (n = 11) to examine problem solving. Students enrolled in Project Tech were guided in the process of designing digital games aimed at teaching younger students (ages 12-15) about social issues facing teenagers. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on 35 iterations of a directed design game and 35 iterations of a free design game created by special needs young people and director notes. The purpose of the study was to draw from the game iterations a list of empirically grounded problem solving attributes that are associated with digital game design in a special needs classroom. The findings of the study resulted in the understanding of problem solving with special needs young people in four areas: representative characteristics, planning characteristics, executing characteristics and evaluation characteristics.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Computer Science Computer Science Applications
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