Project TECHNOLOGIA

The study described herein is designed to explore the influence of a game-based instructional tool, Project TECHNOLOGIA, on student interactions (i.e., occasions where students use Blackboard Learning Management System to post to one another) and how these interactions contribute to a broader understanding of what it is to be a school district technology specialist. By better understanding the way game mechanics influence student learning and interaction, the educational community may begin to isolate the useful elements of game-based coursework that move beyond so-called ‘content gamification’ that has become a staple of educational gaming (Young et al., 2012). In sum, the project aims to provide: information about the development and evolution of student intentions for learning with the introduction of a dual alternate reality-roleplaying narrative (i.e., Project TECHNOLOGIA); an analysis of student discourse with respect to educational technology content set within a dual alternate reality-roleplaying narrative (i.e., Project TECHNOLOGIA); correlates of success in traditional versus game-based instructional settings; and implications for the on-going development of educational games writ large.