This study describes the cognitive and social differences between students working with Virulent!, a videogame devoted to cell biology, and students working in a traditional class activity involving reading text and graphs. Specifically, this study analyzes the conversations and cognitive processes that arise when kids play and talk about Virulent!, a game that requires players to control the behavior of a virus and interact with cell structures in a way that resembles the actual behavior of biological agents. Results show that using the videogame creates more social interaction focused on content during the study time, and produces higher levels of understanding regarding the temporal relationships and the biological mechanisms involved in the viral replication process.
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