Game design teaches students to grapple with real-world problems
Swedish researchers found that when students use design thinking to create choice-based games about pressing social issues, they develop stronger critical reasoning skills and deeper understanding of societal trade-offs. The approach suggests schools can blend creative learning with digital literacy in ways that prepare students to navigate complex public debates—a skill increasingly valued by employers and policymakers.
Originaltitel: Play2Inform: Using ChoiCo and a Game-Based Design Thinking Approach to Foster Engagement with SocioScientific Issues
<p>The EU funded Exten(DT)2 project explores how Design Thinking (DT) and emerging technologies have the potential to transform education. This study explores how Swedish students harnessed DT with ChoiCo to design choice-based games tackling media and information literacy related socio-scientific issues (SSI). Students immersed themselves in decision-making scenarios, demonstrating a powerful blend of creative expression and technological application. The intervention highlighted novel aspects of DT, notably fostering abstract reasoning and prompting critical reflection on societal values within simulated contexts. This efforts underscores the potential of innovative educational approaches, directly aligning with the Exten(DT)2 project’s goal of advancing Digital Transformation in education. To better integrate DT into SSI in education, this study focuses on key themes aimed at promoting pedagogical innovative digital transformation.</p>