The Effectiveness of Reason Racer, a Game Designed to Engage Middle School Students in Scientific Argumentation

Abstract

Reason Racer is an online, rate-based, multiplayer game that applies specific game features in order to engage middle school students in introductory knowledge of and thinking related to scientific argumentation. Game features include rapid and competitive play, timed performance, immediate feedback, and high rates of response across many game-play sessions and science scenarios. The areas of argumentation addressed in the game include understanding a claim, judging evidence about a claim based on type (fact, opinion) and quality, determining the reasoning applied to the claim (authority, theory, or logic), considering counterarguments and rebuttals, and making judgments. These skills have been identified as important by previous research. Students who played the game at least 10 times improved in every aspect of argumentation skill and judgment. Students who played the game also reported an increase in confidence and motivation to engage in science compared to students who did not play the game. This study has implications for the use of rate-based, multiplayer, competitive games as a component of instruction for difficult-to-teach skills. We also assume that the engaging and fun aspects of Reason Racer contributed to students reporting an increased interest in science.

Keywords:

• educational game
• scientific argumentation
• middle school science
• multiplayer game

 

Acknowledgments. The authors thank the students and teachers from Argentine Middle School in Kansas City, Kansas who assisted with the game and resource development as participant designers. They also thank the middle school science teachers and students who participated in research activities from the Auburn-Washburn, Blue Valley, Gardner Edgerton, Kansas City, North Jackson, Shawnee Heights, and Shawnee Mission School Districts in Kansas

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant 1019842, The Evidence Games: Collaborative Games Engaging Middle School Students in the Evaluation of Scientific Evidence. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marilyn Ault

Marilyn Ault is an associate research scientist and director of ALTEC at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. Her research interests focus on the instructional use of technology, including the design and use of educational games, to affect teaching and learning. Please address correspondence regarding this article to Marilyn Ault, ALTEC, University of Kansas, 1122 West Campus Road, Rm. 748, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. E-mail: [email protected].

Jana Craig-Hare

Jana Craig-Hare is an assistant research professor and associate director of ALTEC at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. Her research interests focus on the instructional use of technology, school-wide interventions, and program evaluation.

Bruce Frey

Bruce Frey is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. His research interests focus on classroom assessment, instrument development, and program evaluation methodology.

James D. Ellis

James D. Ellis is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at the University of Kansas. His research interests focus on reform in science education, science teacher education, and use of technology to enhance teaching and learning in science.

Janis Bulgren

Janis Bulgren is a research professor in the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. Her research interests focus on the development of and research on instructional procedures across the content areas that help students engage in higher order reasoning.