Abstract
The purpose of this study was to measure the instructional effectiveness of digital game-based learning pedagogies in teaching digital citizenship skills to middle school students. These skills included identity exploration in online spaces and online privacy management. The researcher conducted an experiment with a population of seven middle school students at the Boys and Girls Club of Wooster. Over three sessions, participants played Digital Compass, a “butterfly effect” game that places players in real-world scenarios where the combination of decisions made directly affect the story’s outcomes. Participants took a pre- and post-survey that gauged their feelings on statements regarding internet usage preferences, digital safety knowledge, and playing and learning preferences. The survey found that playing Digital Compass significantly changed participants’ outlooks on feeling less important than celebrities they see online, likely due to the game’s exploration of the idea that online content is heavily curated and often not real.
Advisor
Singh, Rohini
Department
Communication Studies
Recommended Citation
Pousak, Brian, "We, the Users of the Internet: Using Digital Game-Based Learning to Teach Digital Citizenship Skills to Middle School Students" (2019). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 8414.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/8414
Disciplines
Educational Technology | Instructional Media Design
Keywords
digital game-based learning, pedagogy, digital citizenship, online safety, game-based learning, middle school
Publication Date
2019
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2019 Brian Pousak