Technical Communication Quarterly Oct 2019

Playable Case Studies: A New Educational Genre for Technical Writing Instruction

Jon Balzotti Brigham Young University ; Derek Hansen

Abstract

A Playable Case Study (PCS) is a hybrid learning experience where students (1) participate in a fictional narrative that unfolds through an immersive, simulated environment and (2) engage in classroom activities and lessons that provide educational scaffolding and promote metacognition through in-game and out-of-game experiences. We present the Microcore PCS to illustrate the potential of this new type of experiential simulation that incorporates aspects of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) to increase immersion and teach workplace literacies in the technical communication classroom. We explore results from a pilot test of Microcore with an undergraduate technical communication course, identifying design strategies that worked well and others that led to improvements that are currently being incorporated. We also provide questions to prompt future research of playable case studies and discuss our findings in a broader context of technical communication pedagogy.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2019-10-02
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2019.1613562
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Closed
Topics
genre theory writing pedagogy technical communication qualitative research literacy studies
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Pihlaja et al. (2024)
    Translation and Localization in Global Technical Communication
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Hsiao (2024)
    Professional Critical Consciousness: Bridging Classroom Theory with Workplace P…
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  3. Duncan (2022)
    “Expanding Ethical Pedagogy in Technical Communication: Learning from Killer Na…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Rice-Bailey (2021)
    The Benefits of Improvisational Games in the TC Classroom
    Technical Communication Quarterly

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CrossRef global citation count: 11 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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