THE MINECRAFT PROJECT: PREDICTORS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND 21st CENTURY SKILLS GAMERS ARE LEARNING THROUGH VIDEO GAME EXPERIENCES A Dissertation by KATHERINE JOAN EVELYN HEWETT *This is only for degrees previously earned! Please do not include your major with the degree name, and list the degree simply as BA, BS, MA, etc. For example: BS, University Name, Year AA, Del Mar College, 1997 MS, University Name, Year BA, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2000 *International Students must include the name of the country between the school and BA, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2000 MS, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 2004 the date the degree was received, if it was received outside of the US. *Delete this box before typing in your information. Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas December 2016 © Katherine Joan Evelyn Hewett All Rights Reserved December 2016 THE MINECRAFT PROJECT: PREDICTORS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND 21st CENTURY SKILLS GAMERS ARE LEARNING THROUGH VIDEO GAME EXPERIENCES A Dissertation by KATHERINE JOAN EVELYN HEWETT This dissertation meets the standards for scope and quality of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and is hereby approved. Daniel Pearce, PhD Bethanie Pletcher, EdD Chair Co-Chair Guang Zeng, PhD Ahmed Mahdy, PhD Committee Member Graduate Faculty Representative December 2016 ABSTRACT Video games are more than just entertainment. In fact, video games like Minecraft develop “Four Cs” skills in young gamers. These 21st century skills include critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration (National Education Association, 2010) and are considered essential skills for future employment by workforce executives (Sardone & Delvin- Scherer, 2010). This study explores predictors of academic success and the 21st century skills gamers are learning through video game experiences. This sequential mixed model study analyzed descriptive data to explore the video game experiences of 3D Modeling and Animation students enrolled at a South Texas area high school. The study analyzed data collected from 66 quantitative subjects and 4 qualitative participants. Three classes engaged in four weeks of gameplay to complete a modeling project in Minecraft. Data was collected during both phases of the project study through survey and case study methods. The findings revealed that the Group Project Grades were heavily skewed indicating a significance that prior gaming experience affected the students’ academic performance. The significance was supported by the unexpected high frequency of perfect scores (65%) and the high concentration of experienced gamers. Over half (54%) reported to have played video games for over 10 years. It was also noted that gender was statistically significant with Class Rank. Females had higher class ranks overall then the males. The qualitative data analysis led to the development of five major findings: 1.) The Strategist: Accomplishing the Mission, 2.) The Creator: The Art of Gameplay, 3.) The Communicator: Building Relationships and v Communities, 4.) The Hero: To Be the Hero of a Great Adventure, and 5.) I am an “Elite”: A Digital Native. These major findings represent trends of the gaming phenomenon, gamer traits, and 21st century skills learned through playing video games. The findings for this study have implications on teachers’ perspectives and attitudes toward video game integration. Recommendations for future research include a longitudinal study with the four participants to provide a better understanding of applied 21st century skills over time, a content analysis of various video games, and a mixed model study exploring the reading habits, literacy skills, and genre interests of gamers. vi DEDICATION With my eternal love and respect, I dedicate this completed step in my pedagogical journey to the greatest teacher of my life. Thank you for teaching me to celebrate creativity and innovation. For my Mama… Katherine Mansheim. You are my sunshine. I love you. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am thankful and blessed that I have not been alone in this journey. I am grateful to the many mentors, teachers, family, and friends who have supported me through my life and especially these last five years. I cannot adequately express the love and thankfulness I feel for you all. I would like to begin these acknowledgements by starting with my family. To the matriarchs of my family, thank you for being a constant source of strength, love, protection, guidance, and support. These three women have taught me the meaning of love, hard work, and family. Thank you to Katherine Mansheim (Mama), Evelyn Brune Mansheim (Mimi), and Joan Mansheim Whitmire (Aunt Joanie) for being my main support system during this doctoral journey. To my brother, Thomas Hewett, I love you. Nothing more can be said but to say how grateful to God I am to have you as my big brother. You bless us with your goodness, your love of music, and gift for writing. I am forever looking up to you. To my father, Tom Hewett, thank you for your love and support. Your interest in architecture and design has had a lasting impact on me. To my niece, Genevieve Hewett, I hope this dissertation will inspire you in your future academic pursuits and be an example of the value of education. Keep writing and pursuing your dreams! I love you my sweet strong girl. To my grandparents in Heaven, Howard Curtis Hewett, Helen Roebuck Hewett, Frank V. Mansheim, and Evelyn Brune Mansheim, thank you for teaching me the meaning of a grandparent’s love and guidance. Thank you for reading books to me, for showing me how to fix and build things, for the breakfast mornings, and for all the adventures. I cherish and honor your memory. viii I would also like to acknowledge my uncle in Heaven, Dr. Ray Whitmire, Professor Emeritus of Finance, professor of accounting and finance in the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for 35 years and an inspiration. Thank you, Uncle Ray, for being there when I needed you. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to my dissertation committee: Dr. Dan Pearce, Dr. Bethanie Pletcher, Dr. Guang Zeng, and Dr. Ahmed Mahdy. Thank you for your guidance and support through this process. Your mentorship, knowledge, and expertise in your given fields of study have enriched my learning. I have reached this goal because of you all and I thank you. Dr. Pearce, you have been with me on this journey the longest. Thank you for believing in me and guiding me through both my master and doctoral programs. I would also like to acknowledge my Radio and Television professor, Mac Aipperspach, at Del Mar College. Thank you for fostering in me a passion for technology and digital story- telling. You have been a key figure in the direction of my life. To Dr. Nicolas Curiel, thank you for your guidance through the last stages of this process. I am forever grateful to you. I express gratitude for my Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi doctoral program cohorts: Frances, Shere, Melissa, Bonnie, Vani, Chantel, Paul, Jeanette, Sandy, Rosalynn, Bethanie, Noehmi, Tiana, Amanda, Stephanie, Sonja, Nikki, Melonie, Lisa, John, Lionel, Green, Rick, and Joseph (Izzy). Thank you for the support and friendship through this journey. We have shared a unique bonding experience and I will forever feel a connection with you all, love to you my cohort family. To my trench buddy on the frontlines of this journey, Nilsa Becho Sullivan, you have been faithfully beside me through doctoral courses and our comprehensive finals. We have celebrated the highs and tackled the lows together. Thank you for your friendship. The force is ix strong in you and I have been blessed to have you in my life. The path of a Jedi brings forth knowledge (Jedi Code, (n.d.)) much like this doctoral journey together. Love you, my Jedi sister, always… Dr. Kakali Bhattacharya, your innovative use of Second Life to teach qualitative research methods changed my life as a technology teacher and sparked the start of this dissertation topic. The use of a virtual environment inspired me to explore the video game culture and gave me the courage to integrate Minecraft into my own courses. Thank you for challenging me to think “outside-the-box” in my teaching and my research. To the countless educators and professors who I have met through my research and studies in Second Life, thank you for the professional development opportunities, the innovative teaching practices, and the sense of community in being a “virtual pioneer.” Thank you to the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA), the Special Interest Group for Virtual Environments (SIGVE), the Virtual Pioneers, the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE), the Second Life Educators of Escambia County (SLEEC), and the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) for providing a community for educators to explore this new research field. To my Second Life friends, it has been a privilege to meet and learn from you during my doctoral studies. Thank you to Crotian, Jacon, Rae, Lizzy, and Elena for the deep friendships, the love, and the support. Your collective creativity and innovation has encouraged me to learn and expand my own knowledge of 3D modeling and design. You all have taught me that friendship can come to one’s life in many forms and I am blessed to have you all in mine. I would like to take a moment to thank the faculty and staff at my beloved Richard King High School. The level of professionalism exhibited daily has inspired me to have high x expectations in my teaching practice. I am blessed to be part of a community of thinkers and innovators.