1. Farmtasia: A Case Study of Knowledge Building Processes in Game-Based Learning BY CHERRY ROSE TAN

2. Sustained work with ideas  To create new knowledge is to “discuss, interconnect, revise, and supersede” existing ideas (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003)  Requires a large amount of knowledge  Success requires cultural change (environment)  Process needs to be sustainable to lead to innovation

3. Matthew effect  “The more you know, the more you can learn” (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003)  Inaccessibility for certain communities  Gaming platforms as a way of breaking barriers – e.g. physical, economical, social  Innovation concentrated on select fields – e.g. technology (Silicon Valley)

4. Three-dimensional digital game- based learning (3D-DGBL)  Literacy-historical spaces for interacting with other players, non-player characters (NPCs), and subject content (Neville & Shelton, 2010)  Players represented by avatars  Are usually role-playing games (RPGs)

5. Why 3D-DGBL?  Emulates real-world sites or scenarios that would be inaccessible (Thomas, 2004)  High engagement and skill delivery (Barab, Thomas, Dodge, Carteaux, & Tuzun, 2005; Gee, 2003)  Low threshold for participation

6. Thesis  Three-dimensional digital game-based learning (3D-DGBL) serves as an effective platform for:  Knowledge building -> innovation (sustained work with ideas)  Reducing the Matthew effect  Case study: Farmtasia

7. Farmtasia  Created by the Centre for the Advancement of Information Technology in Education (CAITE)  Educational video game targeted towards knowledge building

8. Gameplay  Players act as managers to individually run farms  Concepts: cultivation, horticulture, pasturage  Uses real-world and random events – e.g. natural disasters, neighbourly competition

9. Purpose  Goal: To create effective investment and operational strategies  Winning variables: financial gain, public reputation

10. Knowledge building features 1.Pedagogical scaffolding 2.Situated learning 3.Communal debriefings

11. 1) Pedagogical scaffolding  The use of interactive tools for feedback to support individual and group contributions (Zhang, Hong, Scardamalia, Teo, & Morley, 2011)

12. Constructive uses of authoritative sources  Knowledge Manual – searchable resource bank accessed independently  Wise Genie – gives tips  Teacher console – analyze, prepare, and share information  Record-and-replay function

13. Improvable ideas  Zone of proximal development (Vygotsky)  Multidisciplinary scaffolds

14. 2) Situated learning  “Missions, tasks, and problems that are generative and open- ended, and there is no prescribed solution” (Jong et al., 2010)

15. Real ideas and authentic problems  Creating knowledge that is useful to themselves and their community  Event types: farm, market, mass-decision  Farm – localized to individuals – e.g. fire accidents, strikes  Market – affects globally – e.g. price fluctuations  Mass-decision – cooperation and collaboration to succeed – e.g. building a dam

16. Epistemic agency  Solving problems -> empowerment  Setting goals and long-range planning  High engagement  Social responsibility -> validation

17. 3) Communal debriefings  Public blogging platform  Journal templates – scaffolds  Summative report to Mr. Lam – character whose farm is closing down

18. Collective responsibility  Sharing and advancing ideas as a community  Achievement of broader and more global goals – e.g. environmental sustainability

19. Democratizing knowledge  Public space makes ideas transparent and accessible (public objects)  Transcends geographical and economic barriers

20. Conclusion  3D-DGBL environments allow us:  To transform ideas into public objects -> sustainability leading to knowledge building  To remove barriers to knowledge -> reducing the Matthew effect

21. Thank you! E-MAIL: CHERRYR.TAN@GMAIL.COMCHERRYR.TAN@GMAIL.COM LINKEDIN: HTTP://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/CHERRYROSETAN HTTP://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/CHERRYROSETAN