Learning to “do history” through gameplay

Abstract

One of the most prevailing approaches in history education today is the use of historical sources as a tool to enhance historical thinking skills. At the same time, relevant research shows that history education is one of the areas of the curriculum that could benefit most from the use of computer games. In the present article, we examine the potential of a Greek educational computer game to enhance students’ historical skills such as reasoning and historical context evaluation in order to produce historical explanations, through a process of participatory negotiation of meanings. We specifically draw from the relevant research on historical sources as tools for the development of historical thinking skills, aiming at the creation of communities of practice among students who are encouraged to adopt practices such as those of professional historians, namely primary sources analysis and interpretation. Results of observation and questionnaire analysis indicate that primary school students (aged 11 years old) can use an educational computer game as a tool for conducting historical source analysis under specific conditions.