The Influence of Gamified Counterfactual History Curricula on the Development of Historical Empathy and Multi-Perspective Thinking

Abstract

The teaching of history often fails to involve students in the analysis of complicated situations and various points of view, hindering historical empathy and multi-perspective thinking skills. Gamified counterfactual history courses based on storytelling, "what if" questions, and digital simulations may be viewed as a solution to develop both cognitive and emotional competencies in a class. In this paper, quasi-experimental methods were applied to test 80 undergraduate students who took part in the experiment and control groups. The former was taught using a gamified curriculum, while the latter had traditional classes. Both quantitative (pre-test/post-test) and qualitative techniques (observations and interviews) were utilized to measure historical empathy and multi-perspective thinking skills. Students who used the innovative technique got significantly higher post-test results for both variables in comparison with their peers (d = 1.60 and d = 1.71 respectively). Analysis based on themes showed improvement in engagement levels, empathy through perspective taking, and development of critical skills in the experimental group. It is clear from these findings that a combination of gamification and counterfactual history can be used very effectively in order to develop cognitive and socio-emotional skills in history teaching. This study has demonstrated how a scenario-based and immersive approach can contribute to historical knowledge and reflection. It will help educators in devising strategies for the development of their courses and teaching methods.