With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Antonio M. Seoane PardoUniversity of Salamanca

Game-based learning experiences within a History

CLIL classroom:a case study

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Index• Status quaestionis (i): History didactics in Spain• Status quaestionis (ii): Evolution of textbooks• Challenge: problems involved in History didactics• Framework: the EHISTO Project• Methodology: CLIL and game-based learning approaches• Lesson plan: a brief presentation• Activity: Columbus who?• Results and conclusions

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Status quaestionis (i): History didactics in Spain• “Most students consider History teachers as transmitters of

information” (Martínez, Miralles & Alfageme, 2008)

• Most common teacher tasks are

(Fenstermacher & Soltis, 1998)

Teacher as “the executive”

Teacher as “the executive”

DictationExplanationReading of texts

DictationExplanationReading of texts

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Status quaestionis (ii): Evolution of textbooks(Valls & López Facal, 2010)

BUT…Textbooks are made to be selected by teachers

o They are much more historiographically than didactically prepared• TB point on academic content rather than on didactic approaches

Creative and challenging tasks in TB tend to be ignored by teachers(Martínez Valcárcel et al., 2009; Merchán, 2005)TB are based on an objectivist conception of science

o No critical or divergent approaches, usuallyOmnicomprehensiveness: TB prefer to include more lessons and contents instead of reducing subjects with a deeper approach to each topic

BUT…Textbooks are made to be selected by teachers

o They are much more historiographically than didactically prepared• TB point on academic content rather than on didactic approaches

Creative and challenging tasks in TB tend to be ignored by teachers(Martínez Valcárcel et al., 2009; Merchán, 2005)TB are based on an objectivist conception of science

o No critical or divergent approaches, usuallyOmnicomprehensiveness: TB prefer to include more lessons and contents instead of reducing subjects with a deeper approach to each topic

PROSIncreasing number of sources and other historical documentsSpace devoted to questions, activities and historiographical techniques to be put into practice by studentsTasks for students to approach research of different consistency and difficulty

PROSIncreasing number of sources and other historical documentsSpace devoted to questions, activities and historiographical techniques to be put into practice by studentsTasks for students to approach research of different consistency and difficulty

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Challenge: Problems involved in History didactics(Borries, Körber & Meyer-Hamme, 2006)

•Are students ready to reflect on History and historiographical

consciousness or are they too young and immature?

•Are TB to be used by students independently or should be “decoded” by

teachers in classroom? Why are so difficult for students?

•Is school the best place for historical reflection (or we rather prefer them

to pass exams)?

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Framework: the EHISTO projectAIMS

•Extending TBs range throughout the use of Popular History Magazines

articles

•Promoting critical thinking by means of

• Different national approaches• Different methodological

approaches• History crossroads• Digital modules for teachers and

students

• Different national approaches• Different methodological

approaches• History crossroads• Digital modules for teachers and

students

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Methodology: CLIL and game-based learning approachesKEY DATA

Lesson: The misterious origin of Columbus

Age: 13 (2nd ESO – Compulsory Secondary School)

School: IES Campo Charro (La Fuente de San Esteban,

Salamanca, Spain)

Subject: Social Sciences, Geography and History

Topic: The discovery and colonization of America and its economic

impact

Remarks: - Game-based learning approach (role-play)

- CLIL context

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Lesson plan: a brief presentation (i)(University of Cambridge, 2011)

Activating prior knowledgeTag/image cloud: Columbus, discovery, America, sailor, Catholic Kings, vessels, expedition, etc.Questions: - Who was Columbus?

- What were the names of the ships of Columbus expedition?

- Who financed the voyage?- […]

Activating prior knowledgeTag/image cloud: Columbus, discovery, America, sailor, Catholic Kings, vessels, expedition, etc.Questions: - Who was Columbus?

- What were the names of the ships of Columbus expedition?

- Who financed the voyage?- […]

Learning outcomes and objectivesTo know about the different hypotheses regarding Columbus’ originsTo be able to compare, contrast and discuss different historical viewsTo be able to analyse and make conclusions based on evidencesTo be aware of cultural differences, religous issues, etc.

Learning outcomes and objectivesTo know about the different hypotheses regarding Columbus’ originsTo be able to compare, contrast and discuss different historical viewsTo be able to analyse and make conclusions based on evidencesTo be aware of cultural differences, religous issues, etc.

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Lesson plan: a brief presentation (i)(University of Cambridge, 2011)

Materials and resourcesVideo (EN-ES)Interactive map and OER created within EHISTO Project on “The origin of Columbus”Adaptations of Popular History Magazines’ articles (1 & 2)

Materials and resourcesVideo (EN-ES)Interactive map and OER created within EHISTO Project on “The origin of Columbus”Adaptations of Popular History Magazines’ articles (1 & 2)

Cross-curricular linksGeographyCitizenship educationEnglish

Cross-curricular linksGeographyCitizenship educationEnglish

Language supportWord bankSenence-level support (autobiographical narrative)

Language supportWord bankSenence-level support (autobiographical narrative)

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Activity: Columbus who? (i)STAGE ONE - THE GAME•16 students working in pairs•Teacher shared one “probable origin” for each couple•Students prepared their arguments and a 5 minutes presentation (in

English) using PHM articles, the OER and Internet•Classmates voted for the “most probable origin” according to the

representation

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Activity: Columbus who? (ii)STAGE TWO – REFLECTION•Social Sciences and Citizenship Education subjects involved•Questions to debate:

Why the origin of Columbus is disputable “specially” in Spain from

the XIXth century? Are there “clear” evidences or just the interest

in vindicating his origin? Issues involved in a possible Sephardic origin (links to the

expulsion of Muslims and Jews by the Catholic Kings) Religious issues in history and nowadays […]

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Results• Students perceived Columbus’ origin as a debatable question• What is written is not necessarily true• They were not aware of the interests involved in different narratives• Religious issues were not essentially different from ours at the

present time• Students were not aware of the process of building historical

consciousness… They are still unaware of it• We partly succeeded. Expectations were quite high regarding both

students interests and maturity• Possible evolution of EHISTO Project: gamification experiences of

History as a way for engaging students

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

References• Borries, B. V., Körber, A. & Meyer-Hamme, J. (2006). “Uso reflexivo de los manuales escolares de

Historia: resultados de una encuesta realizada a docentes, alumnos y universitarios” in Enseñanza

de las Ciencias Sociales, 5, p. 3-19• Martínez, N., Miralles, P. & Alfageme, Mª B. (2008). “A Reflection on the Class Teaching Sequence

with Particular Reference to History Classes in Spain” in Australian Journal of Teacher Education.

Vol 33 (6), p. 61-75• Martínez Valcárcel, N. et al. (2009). “El uso del libro de texto de Historia de España en Bachillerato.

Diez años de estudio, 1993-2003, y dos reformas (LGE-LOGSE)” in Didáctica de las Ciencias

Experimentales y Sociales, 23, p. 3-35• Merchán Iglesias, F. J. (2005). Enseñanza, examen y control: profesores y alumnos en la clase de

Historia. Barcelona, Octaedro• University of Cambridge. Teaching History through English – A CLIL approach. University of

Cambridge – ESOL examinations. Cambridge, 2011• Vals, R. & López Facal, R. (2010). “¿Un nuevo paradigma para la enseñanza de la Historia? Los

problemas reales y las polémicas interesadas al respecto en España y en el contexto del mundo

occidental” in Enseñanza de las Ciencias Sociales,10, p. 75-85

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Antonio M. Seoane PardoUniversity of Salamanca

Game-based learning experiences within a History

CLIL classroom:a case study