Sixty-eight middle school students played School Scene Investigators: The Case of the Stolen Score Sheets. Developed explicitly for this study, the game was built using ARIS and utilized quick-response codes set around the school environment. Working in groups, students played unique roles, collected and synthesized virtual forensic evidence, and solved the mystery. Evidence was collected in several forms: pre-surveys, post-surveys, field observations, and focus groups. Quantitative data was analyzed using a hierarchical multiple regression model. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed using qualitative analysis software. A merged analysis revealed that gender does not statistically predict engagement, yet different game elements engage genders differently. Interest in science does not predict engagement, although playing the game seemed to increase interest in science. Gaming attitudes predicted 23% of the unique variance in engagement level. Lastly, the engagement instrument showed all players were experiencing flow.
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