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Comparison of Game-based Learning and Traditional Lecture Approaches to Improve Student Engagement and Knowledge Transfer in STEM Education

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Conference

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Salt Lake City, Utah

Publication Date

June 23, 2018

Start Date

June 23, 2018

End Date

July 27, 2018

Conference Session

Biological & Agricultural Division Technical Session 2

Tagged Division

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Page Count

14

DOI

10.18260/1-2--30209

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/30209

Download Count

1529

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Paper Authors

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Nathan C. Rice University of Nebraska, Lincoln Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-5128-6086

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I am a masters student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln majoring in Biological Systems Engineering. My assistantship project focuses on developing an educational immersive simulation game to educate youth on the corn-water-energy-beef nexus and systems thinking.

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Ashu Guru University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Dr. Guru is a computer scientist and educational researcher who focuses on curriculum development in both formal and non-formal educational settings. His expertise includes systems thinking and design, operations research, statistical modeling, and simulation. He has taught several graduate and undergraduate courses in statistics, systems engineering, operations research, and business analytics. Dr. Guru has previously served as the Director of Research Strategy at the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. In addition to his academic experience, Dr. Guru is an expert in supercomputing; he has 10 years of experience in building and managing information technology solutions at University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Fermi National Lab, Talent Plus, and IBM.

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Caprianna N. Keeler

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Deepak R. Keshwani University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Dr. Deepak Keshwani is an associate professor of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition to research in the area of bioprocess and biosystems modeling, Dr. Keshwani is engaged in teaching and advising students across two academic colleges and is involved in numerous campus-wide student success initiatives.

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Jennifer Keshwani University of Nebraska, Lincoln

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Jenny Keshwani is an Assistant Professor of Biological Systems Engineering and Science Literacy Specialist in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is active in promoting science and engineering education in both formal and informal settings through her research, extension, and outreach activities. Dr. Keshwani is actively engaged in several cross-disciplinary regional and national efforts related to STEM education and outreach. Most recently, she was part of a team that received NSF funding to engage youth in STEM through wearable technologies.

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Abstract

In the modern educational system, educators are constantly striving to increase student engagement. Improving student engagement leads to an increase in learning motivation, ultimately enhancing students’ ability to grasp complex topic areas. A common strategy to achieve higher engagement levels in the classroom is game-based learning (GBL). GBL has had mixed literature reviews due to a lack of data comparison and the difficulty of balancing entertainment with educational value. The objective of this study was to investigate how student knowledge transfer compares between a GBL activity and a traditional classroom lecture within STEM education. The GBL activity developed for the study was a cooperative board game called Preservation. During the game, players worked together to mitigate a tide of environmental threats related to the corn-water-ethanol-beef system in the Midwest. The primary learning outcomes measured during the study were the student attitudes towards the environment and their capacity to use systems thinking. Students in two junior level undergraduate courses completed pre-post-surveys after experiencing one of three treatments: group one – traditional lecture (control), group two – played Preservation, and group three – played Preservation with supporting lecture. Assessment focused on differences in student engagement and overall understanding of system interactions. Initial results suggest that the combination treatment provided the greatest change in environmental attitudes and systems awareness compared to the other treatment methods. The results of this study will be used to direct the development of subsequent games and hands-on activities to promote transformational learning strategies in STEM education.

Rice, N. C., & Guru, A., & Keeler, C. N., & Keshwani, D. R., & Keshwani, J. (2018, June), Comparison of Game-based Learning and Traditional Lecture Approaches to Improve Student Engagement and Knowledge Transfer in STEM Education Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--30209

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