Geniverse
Geniverse, developed by Concord Consortium, is an immersive, game-like learning environment designed to be used in classrooms. The Geniverse materials infuse virtual experimentation in genetics with narrative, incorporate the topics of meiosis and protein synthesis with inheritance, and include the science practices of explanation and argumentation.
TERC evaluators conducted a formative evaluation in Years 1-3 of the project and a summative evaluation in Year 4, focusing on teacher implementation as a moderating factor on student collaboration, engagement, and learning outcomes. We described teachers’roles/work as they instructed with Geniverse modules, as well as the influence of classroom/school contexts on teacher implementation. In Year 5, the project expanded its reach by offering the Geniverse curriculum online, along with support via the Geniversity website. To provide formative feedback on this new component, we focused on use and contributions of Geniversity, via teacher guides, lesson plans, student handouts, technical tips and discussion forums. We also studied teachers' implementation approaches and the extent and ways Geniverse contributed to their instruction, when there was very limited support from the project team.
Clients and Collaborators:
Concord Consortium, BSCS
Funder:
National Science Foundation - DRK12 (DRL-0918642)
Our Role:
External Evaluator
Project Staff:
Karen Mutch-Jones, Lily Ko
Reports and Publications:
- Wilson, C.D., Reichsman, F., Mutch-Jones, K. et al. (2018). Teacher Implementation and the Impact of Game-Based Science Curriculum Materials. Journal of Science Education and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-017-9724-y
- Geniverse Summative Evaluation Findings
- Supporting Teacher Implementation with Geniversity: Final Year Evaluation Findings
