A Game-Based Approach to Teaching Social Problem-Solving Skills

Abstract

This chapter describes a game-based approach to teaching social problem solving skills. This chapter presents the background, literature review, development and evaluation of a social problem-solving game, Socialdrome, for use with primary school going children in Singapore. The game sought to intentionally teach children to identify and manage feelings, exercise self-control, solve social problems and negotiate conflict situations. This chapter has two objectives. First, we describe the design of Socialdrome, which is in alignment with instructional design and game design principles. In Study 1, we reported a formative evaluation of the game. This led to further refinements of the game. Second, we presented Study 2, an investigation of the learning outcomes and user acceptance arising from using Socialdrome. Here, a summative evaluation of the game in a formal classroom setting was reported. We concluded with directions for future work.