Time travel, labour history, and the null curriculum: new design knowledge for mobile augmented reality history games

Abstract

This paper presents a case study drawn from design-based research (DBR) on a mobile, place-based augmented reality history game. Using DBR methods, the game was developed by the author as a history learning intervention for fifth to seventh graders. The game is built upon historical narratives of disenfranchised populations that are seldom taught, those typically relegated to the ‘null curriculum’. These narratives include the stories of women immigrant labour leaders in the early twentieth century, more than a decade before suffrage. The project understands the purpose of history education as the preparation of informed citizens. In paying particular attention to historical themes that endure over time, the game aims to draw connections between historical and contemporary narratives of diverse and disenfranchised populations. The study discusses new design knowledge for addressing such narratives. Self-reflexivity, the technique of revealing the means of production of the game technology itself can be used to spotlight contemporary issues of disenfranchisement. Supra-reveals, historical thematic foreshadowing, can help establish key links between themes of disenfranchisement of diverse groups in the past and those in the present. These techniques used together, and the subsequent curriculum, brought focus to teaching issues of diversity and disenfranchisement typically written out of curriculum.

Keywords:

• Mobile games
• history education
• augmented reality games
• disenfranchised groups
• diversity
• Jewish history
• immigrant history
• labour history
• women’s history
• place-based games

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Miriam Bader for guidance in obtaining certain references, to Benjamin Jacobs for his insight into the null curriculum, and most significantly to Jonathan Westin for support and guidance in developing this article, the first form of which was presented at Challenge the Past/Diversify the Future Conference in Gotenburg, Sweden, which Jonathan co-chaired.

Notes

1. see also Bader (2013), Christensen (2011), and Russel-Ciardi (2008).