Centering Learning Theory in the Design and Study of Social Studies-Themed Simulation Games: A Three-part Study

This dissertation takes up the topic of simulations in social studies education. Though simulations are taken up widely by social studies educators, and though they are described as best practice in social studies standards documents and teacher evaluation rubrics, the term lacks specificity. Additionally, design, research, and implementation efforts associated with social studies simulations often lack theoretical grounding and clarity. A major consequence of this lack of conceptual and theoretical clarity is curriculum violence perpetrated upon young people, particularly along racial and socioeconomic lines, as the result of poorly conceived simulations.This dissertation is presented as three standalone manuscripts, bookended by an Introduction and a Conclusion. In the Introduction, I present an overview of the social studies simulation literature. In Chapter Two, I propose mechanics analysis, a methodological approach to systematically analyzing social studies simulations and games. In Chapter Three, I report on an empirical study using mechanics analysis to analyze three digital social studies-themed simulation games: Offworld Trading Company, Frostpunk, and Surviving Mars. In Chapter Four, I build on the previous two chapters to coordinate the salient research and theory across three field—history and social studies education, learning sciences, and games scholarship—to propose a design theory for a particular kind of simulation game: disciplinarily integrated, consequentially engaging simulation games, or DICES. Finally, I conclude with Chapter Five, in which I highlight what I view as the implications of this work as a whole, including for teachers, teacher educators, researchers, and designers.