Learning in the Wild: Evaluating WolfQuest’s Impact on Game Players
David Schaller · Kate Haley Goldman
Wed., June 09, 2:00–3:00, Tripp Commons (Center)
The enormous popularity of computer and videogames (Lenhard et al., 2008), and the inherent pedagogical qualities of such games (Gee, 2003; Squire et al., 2003) has inspired many efforts to create games that successfully fuse compelling game play with learning goals. This session examines the results of one such effort: WolfQuest, a free wildlife simulation game developed by eduweb and the Minnesota Zoo.
Of course, the first measure of success of a learning game is: Does anyone want to play it? WolfQuest has succeeded on that level. WolfQuest puts players in the role of wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park, who alone or in multiplayer packs, must learn to hunt elk and interact with other wolves in their search for a mate. In the eight months since the game launched, over 400,000 people have downloaded it. Players engage in over 50,000 multiplayer game sessions per month. The game’s online community has over 100,000 registered members, who make an average of 1,200 posts daily to the forums. The game has definitely found an audience.
But truly, the ultimate measure of success is: Do players learn anything close to what the developers intended them to learn? WolfQuest ambitiously promised not only to fuse the real world of wolf biology with addictive game play, but to teach players something substantive about wolves as well, to inspire players to think about larger issues of wolf and wildlife conservation, and ultimately to engage in real-world conservation behaviors like visiting a zoo or nature center.
This session will reveal how well WolfQuest accomplished those goals by presenting results from the summative evaluation of the game, which found that players do indeed report knowledge gain and a stronger emotional attachment to wolves. Furthermore, we found significant behavioral outcomes, with large percentages of players following their game sessions with other wolf-related activities, including such further explorations of wolves on the Internet, in books, and on television. While presenting the results from this evaluation, the authors will reflect on lessons learned as well as possible implications for other learning game projects.
References
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Lenhard, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A. R., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (2008). Teens, video games, and civics. Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Schaller, D., et al. (2009). Learning in the wild: What wolfquest taught developers and game players. In J. Trant and D. Bearman (Eds.), Museums and the Web 2009: Proceedings. Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Retrieved from http://www.archimuse.com/mw2009/papers/schaller/schaller.html
Squire, K., Jenkins, H., Holland, W., Miller, H., O'Driscoll, A., Tan, K., & Todd, K. (2003). Designing educational games: Design principles from the games-to-teach project. Educational Technology, 43(5), 17-23.