Immigrant and Refugee Acculturation through Digital Games ... fileIMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACULTURATION...

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IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 1 Immigrant and Refugee Acculturation through Digital Games Theresa Munanga University of Denver DMST 4850 November 15, 2011 Professor Timothy Weaver

Transcript of Immigrant and Refugee Acculturation through Digital Games ... fileIMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACULTURATION...

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 1

Immigrant and Refugee Acculturation through Digital Games

Theresa Munanga

University of Denver

DMST 4850

November 15, 2011

Professor Timothy Weaver

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Abstract

Immigrants to the United States, including refugees, need to learn American culture in

order to successfully adapt to and succeed in this country. However, immigrants arrive in the

United States with varying educational backgrounds, literacy levels, knowledge and

understanding of English, and digital literacy rates, making it difficult to create a one-size-fits-all

acculturation lesson plan. Children may have access to needed cultural information through

formal school systems, but adult immigrants are less likely to have such easy access to cultural

resources. On the other hand, in the United States digital technology is available both inside the

classroom and out, and games have frequently been used to add layers of knowledge and practice

to various subjects taught throughout the course of American history.

This project proposes an analysis of the research available regarding the special learning

needs of new immigrants (including refugees), a review of data about American culture that

immigrants should know for successful acculturation, an analysis of standard instructional design

methodologies, and an analysis of digital game design theories. With the information found, an

attempt will be made to combine the various knowledge areas to create educational digital games

that can be used to help teach American culture to immigrants.

KEYWORDS: acculturation, assimilation, immigrants, refugees, gaming, video games,

computer, digital, United States, American culture, instructional design, educational technology

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Immigrant and Refugee Acculturation through Digital Games

Introduction

More than one million immigrants became legal permanent residents of the United States

in 2010, a populace that includes more than 73,000 refugees. Additionally, 159.7 million

temporary workers, students, exchange visitors, diplomats and tourists arrived in the United

States in 2010 (United States Department of Homeland Security, 2011b). While many of these

permanent and temporary immigrants are already conversant in American culture, the vast

majority may not be. However, studies have shown that the success of an immigrant population

depends on their ability to acculturate (McBrien, 2005).

Some of the immigrants arriving in the United States each year do so illegally. There are

currently an estimated 11.1 million illegal immigrants living in the United States, although the

estimated number of illegal entries into the country in 2009 was approximately 8% less than the

2007 estimates (Bahrampour, 2010). Americans frustrated with the declining economy and with

illegal immigration in general have worked together to create anti-immigration legislature in

several states. This proposed master's project may help illegal immigrants present in the United

States along with immigrants legally allowed to be here, but no attempt will be made to

distinguish between the two – especially since the games will essentially be easily accessible to

anyone in the world with Internet access.

Immigrants who enter the United States arrive with varying educational backgrounds,

literacy levels, knowledge and understanding of English, digital literacy skills, and knowledge

and understanding of American culture. Refugee and immigrant children might be taught what

they need to know in American schools (Tienda & Haskins, 2011), while their parents may take

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classes at community centers and, for a low percentage of the new arrivals, colleges and

universities.

Technology has been used in the classroom for many years now, with the New York

City's Board of Education first using radios to distribute lessons in the classroom in 1925, the

overhead projector being used in schools since 1930, and mimeograph machines debuting in

classrooms in 1940. Computers and software applications joined school classrooms in 1980

(Wilson, Orellana, & Meek, 2010). Online learning is also growing as a medium, with new

online schools and blended learning programs (traditional classrooms mixed with online classes)

emerging every year. Games have also been used in the classroom almost since the beginning of

traditional schools, while computer games are slowly becoming more useful as additional aids in

teaching students important lessons.

But can computer (digital) games also be used to teach American culture to refugees and

other immigrants, either inside a classroom or online? English is known to be a difficult

language to learn, and many immigrants (especially those from developing countries) may have

never before used a computer.

Additionally, if digital games can be used to help acculturate immigrants, how should

they be built? Do adaptations need to be made to the traditional instructional design methods to

facilitate learning of American culture by immigrants? Two of the most used instructional

design models are the ADDIE model (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate –

(Molenda, 2003) and John Keller's ARCS Model of Motivational Design (Attention, Relevance,

Confidence and Satisfaction). Can either or both of these models – or completely different

models – be used to create effective digital games? The intent of this thesis paper and project is

to answer these questions and use the answers, if possible, to design and create educational

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digital games that can be used to assist new immigrants in acculturating to life in the United

States.

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Thesis Statement

Can instructional design methodologies and digital game design theories be combined

with acculturation educational materials to create digital games that can be used to teach

American culture to immigrants and refugees?

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Literature Review

Refugees and Immigrants

Onchwari et al. (Onchwari, Onchwari, & Keengwe, 2008) conducted a study that used

Abraham Maslow's Needs Hierarchy Theory (Safety, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-

Actualization) to explain the needs of immigrants:

• Safety – Some immigrant families may be in need of housing, the lack of which

can cause stress.

• Love and belonging – Hindrances to this category are language and other

diversity issues, as well as the probability that family members remain in the

home country.

• Esteem – Loneliness associated with a lack of knowledge and understanding of

the language and culture can lower an immigrant's self-esteem and prevent him or

her from reaching this level of the Needs Hierarchy.

• Self-actualization – Due to problems reaching the other levels mentioned above,

immigrants might be delayed in reaching this final level.

Several authors expressed the importance of parents in educating immigrant and refugee

children (Aldous, 2006; Onchwari et al., 2008; Exposito & Favela, 2003). However, the level of

education of the parents themselves, as well as the parents' personal levels of acculturation, can

affect how well and how much they support their children's education. Onchwari et al. also

generally agreed with Aldous's belief that "[i]mmigrant children whose parents belong to an

ethnic group generally seen as having little education, often in poverty and able to hold only

unskilled, low-paying jobs, can also experience discrimination in school and do less well there"

(p. 1639).

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Teachers also expressed the importance of cultural knowledge of the United States when

learning subjects such as social studies, stating that "different cultural perspectives may lead

non-native students to come up with interpretations and results different from those expected by

the teacher" (Egbert & Simich-Dudgeon, 2001).

Games in Education

Whether or not games are even effective as educational tools is debated by several

studies. Older research studies were inclined to have findings less positive about the role of

computer games in the educational process, whereas newer studies tended to show more positive

results. For example, a study of literature from 1963-1991 reviewing 68 independent studies

(Randel, Morris, Wetzel, & Whitehill, 1992) showed that "[f]or areas such as math, physics, and

language arts, where the specific objectives can be stated, simulation/games can be used." Of

note, this paper showed there were a small number of available studies for data use at the time.

To wit, "In areas such as social sciences, whether games should be used or not is less

certain…Given the interest that games invoke and allowing for different learning styles or

preferences, [however], using simulations/games should be considered" (Randel et al., 1992).

Gee, on the other hand, expressed that children always use games to prepare themselves

for real life. The real world offers "raw materials" with which to create simulations, and the

simulations in turn help children react to real-life situations (Gee, 2008).

Digital Games as Learning Tools

"Edutainment" was used by at least one author to describe educational computer games

(Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2007). The author also admitted that educational games are inclined to have

the following inherent problems:

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• Motivation tends to be more extrinsic (e.g., using a reward system) than intrinsic

(such as giving a feeling of satisfaction simply from overcoming the challenge of

learning).

• Learning is usually through a drill-and-practice method instead of through an

understanding the how and why of the lesson.

• There is a lack of integrated learning experiences (e.g., the player will want to

play the game, not take time to learn the lesson).

• Educational computer games are simple, generally easy-to-play games without

many challenges.

• There is usually no teacher present, or no need for a teacher to be present.

• Budgets are generally limited and technology used is usually of a lower quality.

• Final marketing and distribution of the games tend to be limited, unlike computer

games created for commercial markets.

The author felt that these "shortcomings" have added to the public's preconceived belief

that educational games are of lower quality than commercial games and, in addition, are not

important for learning.

Squire argued that students, as game players, are likely to seek out textual resources and

increase their literacy skills if doing so will improve their chances of meeting game-playing

goals. "Video games provide their players with situated experiences that they can draw on as

they decipher complex texts…Game contexts provide a purpose for reading and give readers an

entry point into these texts" (Squire, 2010). Additionally, Shaffer (2007) found that students

playing a game about journalism, while not planning to become journalists themselves before

playing the game, "began to develop the skills, knowledge, identity, values, and epistemology of

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journalism" through playing the game. Gee and Levine agreed with Squire and Shaffer, stating

that digital media technology creates vocabulary that is used in the real world, thereby "[making]

meanings clearer and easier to remember" (Gee & Levine, 2009).

A study by Ang and others found that "[l]earning that happens in computer games is

described through three components – play, rules, and narrative – with behaviourist and

constructivist learning theories" (Ang, Avni, & Zaphiris, 2008). In another study, Ang and Rao

concluded that "educational games should be designed as a narrative space with two story

possibilities: represented narratives should tell the story events as the learners progress, while

enacted narratives should let learners perform actions, which are tellable as narratives" (Ang &

Rao, 2008).

Using Instructional Design Methodologies to Create Digital Games

Hirumi et al. stated in 2010 that, "Instructional [d]esigners now face a myriad of options

for presenting, accessing and making instruction available to individual learners. The experience

each environment provides will be different with subsequent differences in learning potential for

each student" (Hirumi, Appelman, Rieber, & Van Eck, 2010). Hirumi et al. also added that there

are additional responsibilities for instructional designers in creating games for students:

Combined with the skills of creating a balance of fun and content engagement is the re-definition of responsibilities of the learner to engage for the right reasons. Just as teachers expect appropriate focus and motivation for learning in a traditional classroom environment, we now have the task of informing our learners that even though the environment might look like a game designed just for fun, there are serious outcomes expected through game play, and serious content embedded within the environment they need to interact with. The use of serious games and simulations should not be conceived to be played at recess, but should instead be attended to for the specific attainment of understanding or skill acquisition, as well as heuristic and strategic problem-solving. Thus serious games and simulations impose a requirement on the context for there to be serious learners involved as well. (p. 22)

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Additionally, Hirumi et al. stated that while both instructional design and game design

use processes that combine analytic, empirical and artistic approaches, instructional design relies

more on the analytic approach (Hirumi et al., 2010). The ADDIE learning theory model used in

instructional design was found to be acceptable for use in designing and creating games (Hirumi,

Appelman, Rieber, & Van Eck, 2010), but "[d]esigning an educational game requires even more

skill and creativity than other forms of game design because the outcome of the game is more

than diversion or enjoyment – the outcome includes learning (Hirumi et al., 2010).

Gunter et al. offered several suggestions on how to use instructional design

methodologies in creating digital games for education. For example, Bloom's Taxonomy should

be applied when creating digital games. "If a game is to be successful in reinforcing the content

that it intends for a student player to be learning, it is crucial that the newly learned content is

imbedded in the fantasy or story line in such a way that forces the player/earner to readily

possess that knowledge to be successful at the next higher level" (Gunter, Kenny, & Vick, 2008).

Gunter et al. recommend using the RETAIN model (Relevance, Embedding, Transfer,

Adaptation, Immersion, Naturalization) in creating digital games as educational technology and

concluded that,

Good game and instructional design and educational theory share a number of essential features; like a properly designed instructional strategy, good games are fun and intrinsically motivating. They incorporate an optimal challenge, have appropriate and unambiguous outcome goals, provide clear, constructive, and encouraging feedback, and offer elements of curiosity. Games take the process one step further through the integration of fantasy…Creating an effective serious game intended for educational purposes entails much more than simply creating an engaging atmosphere and incorporating academic content. Considerable thought and planning is required at every stage of design and production to match media to the appropriate content, integrate and intertwine content closely with game play, and support learning through carefully crafted feedback and hints. In addition, support materials need [to] be created to extend student learning beyond the time that they spend in front of the screen. (p. 534)

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Subject Background

Overview of Refugees and Immigrants

The United States accepted 73,293 refugees in 2010, mainly from Iraq, Burma, Bhutan,

Somalia, Cuba, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Vietnam, and Ethiopia. The

median age of these refugees was 24 years; 65% were age 18 or older. The U.S. Department of

Homeland Security defines a refugee as someone "who is unable or unwilling to return to his or

her country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on

account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political

opinion" (United States Department of Homeland Security, 2011a).

According to the United States government, an immigrant is a person who was legally

granted permission to live permanently in the United States (including refugees), or live

temporarily in the country to study, visit, or work. In 2010, over one million people received

legal permanent resident status to live and work in the United States, while 159.7 million people

obtained permission to temporarily work, visit, or study in the U.S. These numbers include over

8,000 orphans who arrived in the United States to be adopted (United States Department of

Homeland Security, 2011b). Undocumented aliens who entered the United States illegally are

called "illegal immigrants" for the purposes of this paper.

Special Educational Needs of Refugees and Immigrants

A large majority of refugees and immigrants in the United States are English Language

Learners (ELL) and are not only learning English as a Second Language (ESL), but as a third,

fourth, or even fifth – or more – language. In addition, immigrants arrive in the United States

from different cultures and with different belief systems. Many immigrants arrive poor, with

little to no previous formal education, as well as little to no computer experience. Depending on

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education levels and knowledge and understanding of English, parents may be of little to no help

in aiding their children with schoolwork.

Onchwari et al. (2008) listed guidelines for teachers who work with immigrant children,

which can also be adapted to aid an instructional designer in creating cultural awareness

computer games:

• Communicate clearly and support the student's ability to learn about other types

of people and other concepts present in the world. Also provide for alternate

methods of learning besides plain text, such as adding audio, video, and

interactive media.

• Be sensitive to the struggles immigrants and their families go through. Offer

reassurance and, where possible, direct users to resources in their communities.

• Teach acceptance of multiple cultures and beliefs. Show the students that

although they may need to acculturate, their home cultures and beliefs are still

valid and valuable.

• Allow students to grow as individuals and try to incorporate this into the

application(s). Help them to "open up" and connect with others.

• Use a means of feedback so that immigrants can explain what would improve the

game or application and help the instructional designer to develop new ones.

• Teach users what they can do to find more information on the topic, and how

research answers to other questions they may have. Remember the adage that it is

better to "teach a man to fish" to help him learn to take care of himself in the

future.

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When teaching immigrants, as well as when designing computer games that will be

teaching immigrants, it may be helpful to remember that "[i]mmigrant parents may be viewed by

their children as lacking knowledge about schooling in the United States, and so their children

may pay little attention to what their parents say. The parents, themselves, may also recognize

their lack of knowledge about schooling in the United States and listen more than give advice"

(Aldous, 2006). Therefore, games that teach students about American culture may be more

helpful if they do not require help from the parents, and also if they disseminate knowledge in a

way that children can take the information home to teach their parents themselves.

Baack et al. developed a manual for teaching refugee women. They found that

employing consistency, setting small goals with varied activities, incorporating real-life

situations, being flexible, and remaining aware of "native language interference" were important

elements when designing educational programs for this population group. They also found that

successful curriculum included vocabulary, structure, a focus on grammar (for the teacher to be

grammatically correct), learning activities, and content related to the students' culture(s) (Baack,

1981).

Teaching American Culture

"Acculturation is the change in an individual or a culturally similar group that results

from contact with a different culture" (McBrien, 2005). One difficulty facing immigrant students

in the United States is that "[c]ultural misunderstandings can result in prejudice and

discrimination, with the result that students, already struggling with an unfamiliar language and

confusing cultural changes, must also work to overcome the impact of negative attitudes"

(McBrien, 2005).

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There is little formal information available on exactly what information immigrants need

to learn about American culture, besides the commonly cited need for immigrants to learn

English. But what else should be taught? Information about the system of government; past and

current presidents and other officials; states and territories; and other similar national facts are

important, but not necessarily "cultural." These types of information are also more likely to be

taught in formal classroom settings, to immigrant and long-term Americans alike. And what

about digital literacy? Is the ability to use computers and the Internet part of American culture?

From personal experience while living abroad and in working with immigrants and

refugees, I have compiled a list of what I feel are important cultural traits for new immigrants to

learn about America. This list includes:

• American holidays, and some of the reasons behind them (e.g., that Americans

wear costumes for Halloween, and why "everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day").

• Time is very important to Americans ("time is money").

• Americans value privacy.

• Americans tend to be individualistic. Extended families are important to some

Americans, but many Americans feel their "family" consists of parents, siblings,

spouse and children.

• Shaking hands is the common form of greeting in the U.S. (as opposed to bowing,

for example).

• Americans tend to be informal in the workplace, usually addressing bosses and

co-workers by their first names.

• Common slang used by Americans.

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If digital literacy is also taught or enhanced by playing these digital acculturation games, then

that is an added benefit.

Exposito and Favela (2003) found that it is important for educators to remember that

their personal ideologies can affect how and what students learn from them. Educators can take

this reminder and add to instructional guidelines an emphasis to avoid inserting personal cultural

beliefs and biases into any digital games teaching acculturation. Paraphrasing Exposito and

Favela, "Teachers [and instructional designers] who truly value their immigrant students can

create [digital games] that help children feel welcomed by honoring their language and culture,

and by using these assets effectively" (p. 90).

Using Games to Teach

Games can be used effectively in educational settings especially if the instructional

designer gathers and uses techniques from education, cognitive science (such as play theory and

narrative theory), psychology, and art (Hirumi et al., 2010). Hirumi et al. also proposed that

games should utilize problem-based learning, engagement, and cycles of learning, "promote

engagement through cognitive disequilibrium, question-asking, and scaffolding," and

demonstrate situated cognition. They also reiterated that, "Game design and instructional design

are both much more than literal recipes, and [instructional design] can play a valuable role in

instructional game design without destroying what makes games engaging" (p.23)

Randel et al. (1992) added that games allow positive results to be retained over time,

because students need to actively participate in games. Active participation allows for

integration into cognitive structures of the brain. They also stated that, "[f]or classes that have

motivation problems, it would be beneficial to introduce a gaming situation, because the

increased opportunities for learning may vary with the content and game technique used. For

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subject areas in which only marginal learning effects have been found, instructional games could

provide an alternative motivational technique to vary the presentation" (p. 270).

Using Digital Games in Teaching

Egenfeldt-Nielsen (2007) found that creating challenging game environments and

involving teachers in the design process are important factors in developing "edutainment," or

educational computer games. He felt that teachers should be involved in the planning of

computer games, the games should be built with a large enough budget to facilitate the creation

of high-quality games, and that the games should be challenging enough to promote effective

learning on the part of students.

Malone's study (1981) concluded that computer games need to include the following

components, and he incorporated them into his Framework for a Theory of Intrinsically

Motivating Instruction:

• Sensory and cognitive curiosity: Color, sound, lighting and other sensory

stimuli are needed to capture and keep the users attention, as is a motivation to

learn more. "[T]he way to engage learners' curiosity is to present just enough

information to make their existing knowledge seem incomplete, inconsistent, or

unparsimonious. The learners are then motivated to learn more, in order to make

their cognitive structures better-formed."

• Informative feedback: Constructive feedback "should help [the learners] see

how to change their knowledge to become more complete, consistent, or

parsimonious." However, the feedback should also be given in an unexpected

manner to maintain the learner's curiosity.

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• Fantasy to allow emotional involvement: Learners enjoy playing games where

they feel emotionally connected to the application. "Instructional designers

[should] create environments into which students can project their own fantasies

in a relatively unconstrained way. For instance, one could let students name

imaginary participants in a computer game."

• Fantasy for cognition assistance: Allowing the player to use fantasy to

incorporate the new knowledge into a fantasy setting aids in remembering the

information.

• Challenges: Challenges allow for varying difficulty levels, uncertain outcomes,

multiple level goals, randomness, and a chance to increase self-esteem upon

accomplishment.

Hirumi et al. (2010) gave the heuristics of Gagné's nine events as a perfect example of

how instructional designers can incorporate learning with game design:

Nine Events of Instruction The Nine Events Incorporated into Games 1. Gain Attention Music, sounds, cut scenes, movement, speech

2. Inform of Objective

Documentation, text or audio instructions, video instructions, character speech (text or audio), obstacles to limit advancement

3. Recall Prior Knowledge

Obstacles based on what was learned earlier in the game, cues in the environment

4. Present Instruction

Using the game's goals to present all of the above-mentioned activities, embed the learning into the context of the narrative

5. Provide Guidance

Character speech, text, audio, cut scenes, hints, cheats, obstacles

6. Provide Practice

Multiple repetitions of skill use, obstacles requiring learned actions/skills

7. Provide Feedback

Text, character speech, audio, advancement to next level, new information, success on obstacle, cut scenes

8. Assess Performance

Using skills to successfully overcome obstacles and advance to new levels is a form of assessment

9. Enhance Retention and Transfer

Using skills and knowledge learned earlier in game to perform increasingly harder tasks and overcome obstacles,

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somehow showing player that skills learned here can be applied in the real world

Table 1: Based on Hirumi's nine events of instruction in games

Methods and Materials

Methods

A more comprehensive literature review will be conducted on the special needs of

immigrants and refugees as students, the use of games in education in general, the most common

instructional design methodologies, and the frequently used theories and methodologies for

designing educational digital games.

At least one of the most common instructional design methodologies and one of the

digital game design methodologies will be combined, along with cultural education materials, to

create (or attempt to create) six digital games. For example, instructional designers generally use

the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) to design and

create lessons. This model could also potentially be used to create digital games for teaching

acculturation skills to immigrants, as is shown in the following example:

• Analysis: Find the needs of the students and create the lesson plan, then

determine if and how the lesson can be incorporated into a game. Assess the

goals and objectives, the student background(s), the learning environment, and

other considerations. How realistic should the graphics be? Should the

characters speak aloud (audio) or is plain text enough? Also analyze which

game types would best suit the lesson and the knowledge and skills of the

students.

• Design: Design the game, including the user interface. What obstacles and

challenges should be included? Incorporate any accessibility features for

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students with disabilities. Whenever possible, create a paper prototype of the

game and test it.

• Development: Create the game and play-test it. Follow the reiteration process

as often as needed to remove design flaws. Also create any needed

documentation, including any pre- and post-testing surveys to be used to gauge

learning success or failure (to assess learning).

• Implementation: Distribute the game to the end users and train the trainers, if

necessary. Collect data to update the game application if problems arise.

• Evaluation: Evaluate the data collected and the changes made to the game

application. Did the game have any application design flaws? Were disabled

users able to play the game? Did the users learn from the game? How can the

game be improved in the future?

To test the theory that instructional design methodologies and game design theories can

be combined and used to create educational digital games to help teach acculturation, the ADDIE

model shown above (and/or other methods) will be used with acculturation topics – such as

information about official and unofficial American holidays, how Americans value time, and the

most common forms of greeting in the United States – to attempt to create digital games as

educational technology.

Computers and computer software will be used in the creation of the games and

documentation materials. Images and audio will be selected and used in the digital games. An

Internet website will be used for organization, presentation, and dissemination purposes.

Two elements used in game creation – paper-prototyping and play-testing – will be used

in the game design and evaluation processes to test overall design theories both before and after

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creating digital versions. In some cases, storyboarding will be used in the design process to

layout navigation and other game elements.

Flowcharting will be used to record the navigation through and interaction within each of

the digital games. A design document will be created and maintained for each game throughout

the design and development processes, and screenshot images of the game after different phases

of development will be included in the design document. The flowcharts will be included in the

design documents as well.

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Figure 1: Project Methodology

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Figure 2: Digital Game Flowchart Example

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Data Sources

Immigration statistics will be acquired from the United States Department of Homeland

Security. Educational history, statistics, and future plans will be obtained from the United States

Department of Education. Information regarding teaching immigrants and refugees, using games

in teaching, and creating digital games will be honed from available literature.

Acculturation educational materials will be acquired from personal experience, literature,

and requests for digital games on specific topics from the African Community Center, a refugee

intake center located in Denver, Colorado.

Materials

The computer used for all of the following software will be a Macintosh desktop using

the Mac OS X operating system (version 10.6.8). Literature reviewed and cited will be stored in

an academic research management software application for the Macintosh desktop and iPad

called Sente (Third Street Software, 2011a) (Third Street Software, 2011b). Documentation will

be written, updated and maintained using Microsoft Word 2008 for Mac (version 12.3.1) and

Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro (version 9.4.6). Flowcharts will also be created using Microsoft Word.

Graphics and images used in the documentation, in any paper-prototypes, within the digital

games, and/or online will be captured with and/or edited in Apple Grab (version 1.5) and Adobe

Photoshop CS5 Extended (version 12.0.4 x64).

The actual games will be built using Adobe Flash Professional CS5 (version 11.0.2, 489),

the Actionscript 3 programming language, and/or Adobe Captivate 5 (version 5.0.2).

Audio editing will be performed using an open source application called Audacity

(version 1.2.5) (Mazzoni, n.d.). Video editing will be completed with ScreenFlow (version

2.1.10) (Telestream, 2010).

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 25

Google Maps (Google, 2011a) and Google Translate (Google, 2011b) will be used in

separate digital games. The sources for any photographs used will be Flickr (Yahoo, 2011),

Stock.xchng (HAAP Media Ltd., 2011), and iStockphoto (iStockphoto LP, 2011). Animation

and a computer-generated voice used in at least one game will be from Xtranormal.com

(Xtranormal Technology Inc., 2011). Other audio sources will come from Creative Commons

sites ccMixter ("ccMixter," 2011) and Freesound ("Freesound," 2011). Other image sources will

be OpenGameArt ("OpenGameArt.org," 2011), IconSeeker (IconSeeker.com, 2009), and

SoftIcons ("SoftIcons," 2011).

Survey Monkey will be used for pre- and post-assessments for at least one game

(SurveyMonkey, 2011). A Flash game programming book will be used as a technical resource

(Rosenzweig, 2007).

The digital games, presentation materials, and project documentation will be organized,

stored, and disseminated from the website AwarenessGames.net

(http://www.awarenessgames.net), hosted by Weebly (Weebly, Inc., 2011):

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 26

Figure 3: Example of the AwarenessGames.net Website

Monthly visit/hit statistics for AwarenessGames.net will be provided by Weebly and included in

the end documentation, along with an analysis of the countries from which foreign users visited.

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 27

For example, the image below shows visitors to the website from October 1, 2011, through

midday on October 28, 2011. The statistics in this snapshot show that during this time period, at

least three unique visitors arrived to the website from Canada (google.ca), two from the United

Kingdom (google.co.uk), two from the Philippines (google.com.ph), two from Malaysia

(google.com.my), one from Australia (google.com.au), and one from India (google.co.in). The

snapshot also shows the keywords that visitors used as search terms immediately before they

clicked the link to the AwarenessGames.net website:

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 28

Figure 4: Website Statistics from 10/1/11 through Midday on 10/28/11

During the paper-prototype testing and play-testing processes, the users will be randomly

selected to test in-person, and/or will be visitors to the AwarenessGames.net website who will

later provide feedback via an online contact form or regular email.

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 29

At the end of the project, all of the games and documentation will be available for

downloading from the AwarenessGames.net website. The project advisor and the Digital Media

Studies graduate director will perform a final evaluation of the project.

Thesis and Project Time Table

The following timeframe is proposed:

• September 2011 – Submission of preliminary project proposal for review.

• November 2011 – Submission of final project proposal.

• November 2011 - January 2012 – Begin documentation of game designs;

develop, play-test and revise games.

• January 2012 - March 2012 – Finish game development, complete thesis paper

with game documentation, finalize website with completed games.

• March 2012 – Submit final thesis paper and present final project.

Potential Dissemination

The digital games produced from this project will be available for free distribution from

the Awareness Games website, http://www.awarenessgames.net/ (Munanga, 2011a). The games

will also be included on CDs distributed during or after any seminar, workshop, or conference

appearances where presentations are given. In addition, papers written on this or related topics

will also be available for download from the website.

Publications

Even prior to the submission of the master's project proposal, the Awareness Games

website was advertised in two articles – one written for a Society for Technical Communication

quarterly newsletter (Munanga, 2011b), and one written for DU Magazine (available in

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 30

December 2011). Both articles mention the master's project and provide links to the Awareness

Games website.

Figure 5: Article in Society for Technical Communication's Instructional Design

and Learning Special Interest Group's Newsletter

Future submitted articles could be tailored and written for at least six types of peer-

reviewed journals. These journal categories include topics related to educational technology

and/or instructional design; digital media and/or digital technology; game design and

development and/or game design for educational purposes; human use of information

technology; society and culture; and journals related to refugees and/or immigrants including

immigrant education, community development, and refugee assistance. Articles could also

potentially be written for journals related to creating e-learning content for global teaching of

international students via the Internet.

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 31

Other Dissemination Sources

Other sources for dissemination of the master's project and research materials include

conferences, workshops, seminars and institutes. Refugee community organizations would also

be excellent recipients of the games and data, as well as international student training centers and

businesses that train international employees who visit the United States. Additionally, the

author while pursuing a PhD degree at another university can disseminate the materials along

with the extension of the research.

Conclusion

New immigrants, including refugees, need to learn American culture in order to

assimilate into American society and lead successful lives. However, these immigrants arrive in

the United States with varying educational backgrounds, literacy levels, knowledge and

understanding of English, digital literacy rates, and knowledge and understanding of American

culture, making it difficult to create a one-size-fits-all acculturation lesson plan. Children may

have access to needed information through formal school systems, but adult immigrants are less

likely to have the same resources. In the United States, digital technology is available both

inside the classroom and out, and games have frequently been used to assist with teaching and

learning.

This project proposes the analysis of research available about the special learning needs

of new immigrants, a review of data about American culture that immigrants should know to

help them become acculturated, an analysis of standard instructional design methodologies, and

an analysis of digital game design theories. With the information found, an attempt will be made

to create educational digital games that can be used to help teach American culture to

immigrants.

IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ACCULTURATION THROUGH DIGITAL GAMES 32

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