GlassLab has just released a report containing
key findings from a field study of Mars Generation One: Argubot
Academy, an argumentation Serious Game developed by GlassLab Games in collaboration with
Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Pearson, with support from the National
Writing Project and NASA. Mars Generation One (MGO] teaches and assesses students’
argumentation skills through an adventure-based educational game for the iPad.
In the game, players—typically middle school
students—find themselves in a settlement on Mars where disputes are resolved
through formal arguments. To succeed, players must search for evidence that can
support the claims they are trying to make. They also must critique others'
arguments, determining whether the evidence presented supports the claim
effectively. Players advance by winning argument "duels" against
opponents. Over the course of a complete 90-minute cycle
of game play, players might engage in eight or more such duels and be asked to
critique 20 claim-evidence pairings.
GlassLab Games recruited twelve middle school
teachers from across the country to implement the Mars Generation One
game and curriculum in their classrooms in the fall of 2014. Over 500 (n=589)
students in grades 5-8 took part and represented a range of socioeconomic backgrounds.
Before starting the MGO experience, all
students completed a short pre-test to assess their argumentation skills. This
test, as well as the post-test that students completed following the MGO
experience, was created by ETS to evaluate the key aspects of argumentation
targeted in MGO.
Teachers in the field study implemented the
condensed 5-day MGO experience that combines two lesson plans with five
game-play sessions.
The field study results are impressive: students
who play Mars Generation One for three hours with two hours of
instruction can make as much as one whole year of learning gains.
