Using Simulation Games to Teach History to Students Using Paradigm of Cultural-Historical Psychology

The article explores strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of training by fostering student engagement and motivating participation. The use of game-based techniques aims to boost students' motivation toward the material being studied. This approach is grounded in the principles of cultural and historical psychology as articulated by L.S. Vygotsky. It offers a theoretical framework for understanding differences not only in intercultural psychology but also in intertemporal psychology, as it enables the examination of psychological phenomena within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts. The article highlights the search for methods to increase motivation and the development of students' subjectivity and positionality. It provides examples of dialogue simulation games used in training, including historical reconstructions, mock trials, cultural immersion, and the Reacting to the Past initiative. Additionally, the article discusses the technologies involved in the preparation and implementation of these activities. This article provides an overview of research focused on the relationship between games and education. It highlights that participation in such games enhances both general and specialized skills and abilities among students, fosters a positive attitude toward learning, and deepens respect for history as a discipline. This approach allows for a theoretical understanding of facts grounded in historical context, helping to overcome the schematism and empiricism often associated with traditional school education. The methodology of simulation games enables students to explore the differences between the present and the past. These games encourage students to recognize and understand the unfamiliar realities of history, as well as the diverse ways of thinking that characterized people from different eras and cultures. The article concludes that well-designed educational games significantly increase the likelihood of achieving desired educational outcomes and contribute to the overall improvement of quality in higher education. The experiences shared regarding the use of role-playing or simulation games illustrate the potential of cultural-historical psychology as a valuable resource in history education.

1. Astashova N. A., Bondyreva S. K., Popova O. S. Resursy geymifikatsii v obrazovanii: teoreticheskiy podkhod [Gamification resources in education: a theoretical approach]. Obrazovaniye i nauka [Education and Science], 2023. Vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 15—49 (In Russ.). DOI:10.17853/1994-5639-2023-1-15-49
2. Volkova T. G., Talanova I. O. Geymifikatsiya v obrazovanii: problemyitendentsii [Gamification in education: problems and trends]. Yaroslavskiypedagogicheskiyvestnik[Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin], 2022, no. 128, pp. 26—33 (In Russ.). DOI:10.20323/1813-145X-2022-5-128-26-33
3. Vygotskiy L.S. Voobrazheniye I tvorchestvo v detskom vozraste [Imagination and creativity in childhood]. Moscow: Prosveshcheniye, 1991. 93 p. (In Russ.).
4. Vygotskiy L.S. Psikhologiyarazvitiyacheloveka[Psychology of human development]. Moscow: Smysl; Publ. Eksmo, 2005. 1136 p. (In Russ.).
5. Zaretskiy V. K. Stanovleniye i sushchnost' refleksivno-deyatel'nostnogo podkhoda v okazanii konsul'tativnoy psikhologicheskoy pomoshchi. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya, 2013, no. 2, pp. 8—37.
6. Zaretskiy YU. V. Cub"yektnaya pozitsiya po otnosheniyu k uchebnoy deyatel'nosti kak resurs razvitiya i predmet issledovaniya. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya, 2013, no. 2, pp. 110—128.
7. Zaretskiy YU. V., Zaretskiy V. K., Kulagina I. YU. Metodika issledovaniya sub"yektnoy pozitsii uchashchikhsya. Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovaniye, 2014, no. 1, pp. 98—109.
8. Rubtsova O.V. Rolevoye eksperimentirovaniye podrostkov v kontekste idey L.S. Vygotskogo: deyatel'nostnaya tekhnologiya «Mul'timedia-teatr» [Adolescents’ Experimenting with Roles in the Context of L.S. Vygotsky’s Ideas: an Activi¬ty-Based Technology “Digital Storytelling Theater”]. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya = Cultural-historical psychology, 2023. Vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 61—69. DOI:10.17759 / chp.2023190208
9. Kholmogorova A.B. Znacheniye kul'turno-istoricheskoy teorii razvitiya psikhiki L.S. Vygotskogo dlya razrabotki sovremennykh modeley sotsial'nogo poznaniya i metodov psikhoterapii. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya, 2016. Vol. 12, no. 3, pp 58—92. DOI: 10.17759/chp.2016120305
10. Kholmogorova A.B. Rol' idey L.S. Vygotskogo dlya stanovleniya paradigmy sotsial'nogo poznaniya v psikhologii: obzor zarubezhnykh issledovaniy i obsuzhdeniye perspektiv. Kul'turno-istoricheskaya psikhologiya, 2015, no. 3, pp. 25—43.
11. Kholmogorova A.B., Klimenkova Ye.N. Sposobnost' k empatii v kontekste problemy sub"yektnosti. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya, 2017. Vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 75—93. DOI:10.17759/cpp.2017250205
12. Caponetto I., Earp J., Ott M. Gamification and education: a literature review. 8th European Conference on Games Based Learnin Germany: ECGBL, 2014, pp. 50—57.
13. Cózar-Gutiérrez R, Sáez-López J. M. Game-based learning and gamification in initial teacher training in the social sciences: An experiment with minecraftedu. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 2016. Vol. 13, no.1, pp. 2—11.DOI:1186/s41239-016-0003-4
14. Dichev Ch., Dicheva D. Gamifying education: what is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: a critical review. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 2017. Vol. 14, no.1, pp. 1—14. DOI:10.1186/s41239-017-0042-5
15. Erbil D.G. A Review of Flipped Classroom and Cooperative Learning Method Within the Context of Vygotsky Theory. Psychol., 2020, no. 11, pp. 11—57. DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01157
16. Girgin D., Ramo A. N. A Case Study: Activity-Based Teaching Process Prepared By NTC’s (Nikola Tesla Center) System of Learning Approach. International Journal of Progressive Education, Vol. 16, no.4, pp. 229—247. DOI:10.29329/ijpe.2020.268.15
17. Gorton W., Havercroft J. Using Historical Simulations to Teach Political Theory. Journal of Political Science Education, Vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 50—68. DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2012.641399
18. Hakobyan A. A., Ghonyan M.S. Games and Activities as a Means of Stimulating the Cognitive Interests of Young School Students. Cross-Cultural Studies:Education and Science, Vol.8, no. 3, pp. 113—118. DOI:10.24412/2470-1262-2023-3-113-118
19. Henrich J. The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020. 704 р.
20. Henrich J., Muthukrishna M. The origins and psychology of human cooperation. Annual Review of Psychology, 2020, no. 72, pp. 207—240. DOI:1146/annurev-psych-081920-042106
21. Lameras P., Arnab S., Dunwell I., Stewart C., Clarke S., Petridis P. Essential features of serious games design in higher education: Linking learning attributes to game mechanics. British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 972—994. DOI:10.1111/bjet.12467.
22. Landers R.N., Bauer, K.N., Callan, R.C., Armstrong, M.B. Psychological theory and the gamification of learning. In ReinersT., WoodL. (Eds.), Gamification in education and business.Cham: Springer, 2015, pp. 165—186.
23. Lieberoth A. Shallow gamification — psychological effects of framing an activity as a game. Games and Culture, 2015.Vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 249—268. DOI:10.1177/1555412014559978
24. Muthukrishna M., Henrich J., Slingerland E. Psychology as a Historical Science // Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 72, no. 27, рр. 717—749. DOI:10.1146/annurev-psych-082820-111436
25. Oliveira W., Bittencourt I. I. Tailored gamification to educational technologies. Springer Nature, 2019. 97 р.
26. Oliveira W., Hamari, J., Joaquim S., Toda A.M., Palomino P.T., Vassileva J., Isotani S. The effects of personalized gamification on students’ flow experience, motivation, and enjoyment. Smart Learning Environments, Vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1—26. DOI:10.1186/s40561-022-00194-x
27. Olwell R.,Stevens A. ‘I had to double check my thoughts’: How the Reacting to the Past Methodology Impacts First-Year College Student Engagement, Retention, and Historical Thinking. The History Teacher, Vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 561—572.
28. Role-Playing Games in the Classroom. Students take center stage. Available at: https://pace.indiana.edu/academics/games/index.html (Accessed: 27.06.2024)
29. Tsekleves E., Cosmas J., Aggoun, A. Benefits, barriers and guideline recommendations for the implementation of serious games in education for stakeholders and policymakers. British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 47, no.1, pp. 164—183. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.12223.
30. Uchiyama R., Spicer R., Muthukrishna M. Cultural evolution of genetic heritability. Behav Brain Sci., May. DOI:10.1017/S0140525X21000893.
31. C., Fernandez K. E. Does Reacting to the Past Increase Student Engagement? An Empirical Evaluation of the Use of Historical Simulations in Teaching Political Theory, 2016. Vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 46—61. DOI:10.1080/15512169.2016.1175948
32. Zaretsky V.K., Kholmogorova A.B. Relationship between Education, Development & Health from Cultural-Historical Perspective. Cultural-Historical 2020. Vol. 16, no. 2. pp. 99–116. DOI:10.17759/chp.2020160212