Evaluating the quality of learning through gaming and simulation

233 - 242
Co-authored paper with Salim Jiwa, researcher contribution 50%.

From methodological approaches adapted from Newman and Webb (1994) the co-researchers set out to test Garrison’s (1992) critical theory and self-directed learning, which models the process through problem identification, definition, exploration, evaluation/applicability and integration. Critical thinking in the co-researcher’s enquiry was understood to mean thinking as a rational response to questions that cannot be answered definitively or for which all relevant information may be unavailable. It seeks to arrive at the best possible justifiable hypothesis or conclusions.

Learning through taught case studies was compared to gaming and simulation. A sample of ninety student learners responded to a questionnaire comprising seventeen questions structured on a 5 point Likert scale. The responses were then analysed using SPSS principal component factor analysis to identify relationships and establish how far they correspond to Garrison’s stages of self-directed learning.

It was found that there was a preference for gaming and simulation. The respondents had a perception of case study learning that resulted in low scores for the critical thinking stages of problem integration and problem description. The impact of the two mediums has other ramifications in that the study gave support to the view described by McHardy (2000) that learning from case studies can be thought of as “facts gleaned from yesterday’s problems”. A game in comparison can provide a variety of learning outcomes. Participants can therefore learn about the quality of their decisions directly and see how these decisions can impact on the constraints imposed on future decisions.

This self generated outcome orientation and learner perception of control could provide an explanation why virtual environments better supported problem description and problem integration stages of critical thinking, that is ‘intrinsic motivation’ in the learning process.