Conclusion
At the outset of this study I aimed to answer “What do students learn from playing Fort McMoney, and how might their beliefs about the oil sands change as a result?”.
In terms of the first part of this question (student learning), students self-identified significant increases in their understanding of the oil sands in a variety of areas. Not only did they show gains in their understanding for more publicized issues such as the effect of the oil sands on the national economy and global climate change, but they also noted even greater learning with regards to more local issues such as the economics, pollution, social issues, politics and demographics of Fort McMurray and the surrounding area.
With regards to the second part of my research question (change in beliefs), the debate about the oil sands is one of the most polarizing issues in Canada and beyond. It is a prime example of many of the complex and messy topics we explore in the study of Geography at the high school level in Ontario. Rarely in class do we come across an issue where there is an absolute “right” or “wrong” answer or solution for these very challenging issues. One of my main goals as a Geography teacher is to help students see and weigh multiple perspectives and opinions. I want students to dig deep, far beyond the sound bytes and hyperbole. From what I have discovered in my research study, the docu-game Fort McMoney helps to achieve this goal. For example, after playing the game almost 85% of the students had adopted a more moderate opinion on the oil sands (meaning that they took a stance that acknowledged both the pros and cons). In addition, over a third of the students (36%) stated that prior to playing Fort McMoney they “did not know enough about [the oil sands] to have an opinion”, while less than 2% stated the same after playing the game.
Finally, overall students seemed to like the game. The students gave it an average of 4.1 out of 5 in terms of its effectiveness in educating about the oil sands, and an average of 4.0 out of 5 in terms of whether or not they would recommend using the game in the course next year.
In terms of the first part of this question (student learning), students self-identified significant increases in their understanding of the oil sands in a variety of areas. Not only did they show gains in their understanding for more publicized issues such as the effect of the oil sands on the national economy and global climate change, but they also noted even greater learning with regards to more local issues such as the economics, pollution, social issues, politics and demographics of Fort McMurray and the surrounding area.
With regards to the second part of my research question (change in beliefs), the debate about the oil sands is one of the most polarizing issues in Canada and beyond. It is a prime example of many of the complex and messy topics we explore in the study of Geography at the high school level in Ontario. Rarely in class do we come across an issue where there is an absolute “right” or “wrong” answer or solution for these very challenging issues. One of my main goals as a Geography teacher is to help students see and weigh multiple perspectives and opinions. I want students to dig deep, far beyond the sound bytes and hyperbole. From what I have discovered in my research study, the docu-game Fort McMoney helps to achieve this goal. For example, after playing the game almost 85% of the students had adopted a more moderate opinion on the oil sands (meaning that they took a stance that acknowledged both the pros and cons). In addition, over a third of the students (36%) stated that prior to playing Fort McMoney they “did not know enough about [the oil sands] to have an opinion”, while less than 2% stated the same after playing the game.
Finally, overall students seemed to like the game. The students gave it an average of 4.1 out of 5 in terms of its effectiveness in educating about the oil sands, and an average of 4.0 out of 5 in terms of whether or not they would recommend using the game in the course next year.