Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach

Climate change is a highly complex social-ecological problem characterized by system-type dynamics that are important to communicate in a variety of settings, ranging from formal education to decision makers to informal education of the general public. Educational games are one approach that may enh...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Tanya O'Garra, Diana Reckien, Stephanie Pfirman, Elizabeth Bachrach Simon, Grace H. Bachman, Jessica Brunacini, Joey J. Lee
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Resilience Alliance 2021
Materias:	arctic climate change fuzzy cognitive mapping polar regions serious games systems thinking Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/0c791512560b450a9974209fc3f910d6
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:0c791512560b450a9974209fc3f910d6
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:0c791512560b450a9974209fc3f910d62021-11-15T16:40:18ZImpact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach1708-308710.5751/ES-12425-260225https://doaj.org/article/0c791512560b450a9974209fc3f910d62021-06-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol26/iss2/art25/https://doaj.org/toc/1708-3087Climate change is a highly complex social-ecological problem characterized by system-type dynamics that are important to communicate in a variety of settings, ranging from formal education to decision makers to informal education of the general public. Educational games are one approach that may enhance systems thinking skills. This study used a randomized controlled experiment to compare the impact on the mental models of participants of an educational card game vs. an illustrated article about the Arctic social-ecological system. A total of 41 participants (game: n = 20; reading: n = 21) created pre- and post-intervention mental models of the system, based on a "fuzzy cognitive mapping" approach. Maps were analyzed using network statistics. Both reading the article and playing the game resulted in measurable increases in systems understanding. The group reading the article perceived a more complex system after the intervention, with overall learning gains approximately twice those of the game players. However, game players demonstrated similar learning gains as article readers regarding the climate system, actions both causing environmental problems and protecting the Arctic, as well as the importance of the base- and mid-levels of the food chain. These findings contribute to the growing evidence showing that games are important resources to include as strategies for building capacity to understand and steward sustainable social-ecological systems, in both formal and informal education.Tanya O'GarraDiana ReckienStephanie PfirmanElizabeth Bachrach SimonGrace H. BachmanJessica BrunaciniJoey J. LeeResilience Alliancearticlearcticclimate changefuzzy cognitive mappingpolar regionsserious gamessystems thinkingBiology (General)QH301-705.5EcologyQH540-549.5ENEcology and Society, Vol 26, Iss 2, p 25 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	arctic climate change fuzzy cognitive mapping polar regions serious games systems thinking Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5
spellingShingle	arctic climate change fuzzy cognitive mapping polar regions serious games systems thinking Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Ecology QH540-549.5 Tanya O'Garra Diana Reckien Stephanie Pfirman Elizabeth Bachrach Simon Grace H. Bachman Jessica Brunacini Joey J. Lee Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
description	Climate change is a highly complex social-ecological problem characterized by system-type dynamics that are important to communicate in a variety of settings, ranging from formal education to decision makers to informal education of the general public. Educational games are one approach that may enhance systems thinking skills. This study used a randomized controlled experiment to compare the impact on the mental models of participants of an educational card game vs. an illustrated article about the Arctic social-ecological system. A total of 41 participants (game: n = 20; reading: n = 21) created pre- and post-intervention mental models of the system, based on a "fuzzy cognitive mapping" approach. Maps were analyzed using network statistics. Both reading the article and playing the game resulted in measurable increases in systems understanding. The group reading the article perceived a more complex system after the intervention, with overall learning gains approximately twice those of the game players. However, game players demonstrated similar learning gains as article readers regarding the climate system, actions both causing environmental problems and protecting the Arctic, as well as the importance of the base- and mid-levels of the food chain. These findings contribute to the growing evidence showing that games are important resources to include as strategies for building capacity to understand and steward sustainable social-ecological systems, in both formal and informal education.
format	article
author	Tanya O'Garra Diana Reckien Stephanie Pfirman Elizabeth Bachrach Simon Grace H. Bachman Jessica Brunacini Joey J. Lee
author_facet	Tanya O'Garra Diana Reckien Stephanie Pfirman Elizabeth Bachrach Simon Grace H. Bachman Jessica Brunacini Joey J. Lee
author_sort	Tanya O'Garra
title	Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
title_short	Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
title_full	Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
title_fullStr	Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
title_full_unstemmed	Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
title_sort	impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach
publisher	Resilience Alliance
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/0c791512560b450a9974209fc3f910d6
work_keys_str_mv	AT tanyaogarra impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT dianareckien impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT stephaniepfirman impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT elizabethbachrachsimon impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT gracehbachman impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT jessicabrunacini impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach AT joeyjlee impactofgameplayvsreadingonmentalmodelsofsocialecologicalsystemsafuzzycognitivemappingapproach
_version_	1718426886866993152

Impact of gameplay vs. reading on mental models of social-ecological systems: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach

Ejemplares similares