Using Microgenetic Methods to Investigate Problem Solving in Video Games

This paper presents formative research for the Possible Worlds project, a five-year initiative developing middle school life science game modules that use Nintendo DS mini-games and web activities. Its central purpose is methodological: it illustrates how microgenetic methods, which track small-scale, repeated observations of change as it unfolds, can be adapted to examine how young players solve problems and revise their strategies during video game play. The authors argue that games offer distinctive advantages for scientific reasoning, including rich environments, manipulable variables, and opportunities for structured feedback, and that developmental factors must be considered in game design for younger players.

The study observed 22 students aged 9 to 12, drawn from a university-affiliated elementary and middle school in New York City and a community computer clubhouse, as they played commercial puzzle games, with World of Goo serving as the primary example. Sessions were recorded on video and audio while participants thought aloud, and researchers asked probing questions about their goals, plans, and interpretations of game feedback. The coding framework operates at four levels, from twenty-second clips of actions to one-minute strategy descriptions and whole-level learning summaries, and is intended to map individual learning trajectories against Kuhn and Pease's model of strategic inquiry competence.

The authors are candid about the study's limitations. The sample was small and unbalanced, with 15 elementary and middle school students (13 boys, 2 girls) and 7 clubhouse participants (6 boys, 1 girl), and the work is explicitly exploratory, making no general claims about gender differences. Other challenges include the difficulty of defining a discrete "trial" in game play, reliance on verbal and visual data, and the untested nature of the think-aloud protocol. The findings are presented as preliminary input for refining observation methods and informing future Possible Worlds module design.