National Research & Development Center on Instructional Technology: Possible Worlds

Development of Possible Worlds
The gaming application included the development of three integrated supports, namely: (1) a motivating story context that unfolds over time and in which students have a competitive role and are challenged to "act as scientists"; (2) communication capacities between teacher and multi-player students to enhance classroom problem solving and teamwork; and (3) mini-games that build specific science knowledge and concrete literacy skills. Possible Worlds was universally designed for 7th graders, including those who are struggling, by offering multiple points of entry into subject matter and literacy.

Possible Worlds used a formative research process in which teachers and students design activities and a larger game narrative that is both compelling and educationally substantive. The research team field-tested the modules with teachers and students in classrooms, observe their experiences, and gather feedback, all of which informed subsequent development of the modules. Additionally, the team created professional development materials to support the integration of the intervention within existing classroom practice.

Note that during the development process, this intervention's name changed from SuperSleuths to Possible Worlds. 

Efficacy Study
The research team conducted a randomized control trial to test the efficacy of Possible Worlds. The study included 60 science classrooms from 30 schools within three districts. In order to assess the product's impact, student achievement on standardized measures of middle-school science and literacy learning was compared between classrooms receiving the intervention and control classrooms, which used the standard curricula. Three-level hierarchical linear models (with students nested within classrooms nested within schools) were to examine the effect of the intervention on student achievement.