Using a Constructivist Simulation to Increase Student Learning and Enjoyment in a 10th Grade World History Class by Bridget Bosch A MASTER S PROJECT For ED 7999 Submitted to the Office for Graduate Studies Graduate Division of Wayne State University Detroit MI In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION Spring 2005 MAJOR Social Studies Education Approved by Bob Pettapiece Date Table of Contents Page Chapter One Introduction The Situation The Need Purpose of the Study Significance of the Study Summary 1 1 2 2 3 Chapter Two Review of Related Literature Introduction Theoretical Bases Suggested Approaches Summary 4 4 5 7 Chapter Three Methodology of the Study Introduction Hypotheses Population Selection of Students Methodology Data Collection Summary 9 9 9 10 10 12 13 Chapter Four Findings of the Study Introduction Hypothesis 1 Hypothesis 2 Hypothesis 3 Summary 14 15 16 17 18 Chapter Five Conclusions Recommendations and Personal Observations Introduction 19 Conclusions 19 Recommendations 20 Personal Observations 21 Summary 22 References Appendix A Appendix B 24 Chapter One Introduction The Situation Teachers of the social studies have been given an amazing opportunity and frightening challenge to prepare our youth for the responsibility of becoming wellinformed and active citizens Teachers of civics courses impart the wisdom of the founding fathers and the mechanisms of democracy United States history teachers offer students triumphs and mistakes of our not so distant past Sociology teachers encourage students to question the state of our society The goal of the world history teacher in this preparation seems less clear World history courses do offer myriad opportunities to appreciate and examine different cultures and in many instances can offer connections to current world events all of which can help students prepare for an increasingly small world However as engaging as some of these topics may be their relevance to teenagers may not always be obvious For this reason it is imperative that the world history classroom be not only a place to learn facts but to practice skills which can be applied to situations far beyond a tenth grade course The Need Today s teenager has grown up in a world where access to information is instantaneous cable news is twenty four hours the internet is a click away and cellphones offer the latest update on the current celebrity legal drama But are students savvy consumers of information Do they create reasoned opinions based on careful 1 2 analysis of multiple viewpoints and sources With so many people offering their opinions via countless media outlets it would seem that there should be more variety of opinions to glean from However as news has at once become more politicized and less questioning the substance of American public discourse appears to be in a state of decline With much at stake in local state and national elections students must be prepared to make informed decisions The history classroom is the ideal place to practice these skills without the high stakes and pressure of real life Purpose of the Study The main purpose of the study is to incorporate methods of learning that encourage students to actively construct their own understanding of past events with their peers into an enjoyable unit on the European Middle Ages If students enjoy what they are doing they are more apt to buy into the assignments and in the end learn the material Throughout the unit students participated in a constructivist simulation that required them to take multiple primary sources into account and formulate their own opinions and analysis of past leaders and events Students were at times asked to become people of the past and make decisions as if their life depended on the outcome By taking an active role in the decision making process they can better understand the variables that shape history Significance of the Study The data and information gathered in this study can provide classroom teachers with valuable insights on how best to engage students in a world history classroom 3 Making students active participants in the construction of their knowledge goes beyond memorization and begins to prepare students for life as an active and engaged citizen Summary Social Studies educators are faced with the overwhelming task of preparing students to be good citizens while imparting them with a raft of content knowledge The world history classroom is the ideal place for students practice important skills such as decision making analysis of discordant sources and interpretation of important events This study seeks to implement constructivist techniques to this end while at the same time engaging and educating students in the study of the European Middle Ages Chapter Two Review of Related Literature Introduction Teachers in the field for more then a few years understand the nature of educational fads that sweep through the profession School districts jump headlong into practices proven to increase student achievement which often do not engage students or teachers or make good on said promises There are some educational theories though perhaps not embraced by all that have managed to make good on the claims purported by researchers constructivism is among these This chapter contains a review of literature related to the use of constructivism in the history classroom including its theoretical bases desired outcomes and best practices Theoretical Bases Constructivism deals with the theory that knowledge is created by people and influenced by their values and culture Scheurman 1998 p 6 There are two widely accepted theories of constructivism cognitive and social Jean Piaget a theorist behind cognitive constructivism argued that people learn by combining new information into existing mental frameworks or schemas and then restructure these frameworks when the information is too new or unique to fit into them In this way the learner must build private understandings of reality through problem solving with others Scheurman 1998 p 8 4 5 The field of social constructivism is dominated by Lev Vygotsky who proposed that the values and culture that impact the creation of knowledge are actually contributing to a public understanding of events Knowledge is co constructed when learners interact with each other and historical or cultural information thus creating understanding together Scheurman 1998 contends that when applied to the classroom