Using “projective identities” to create ownership and promote deeper learning
Dr. James Paul Gee, considered by some as the “Godfather of game-based learning” wrote a book called “What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy.”
According to Gee, games reflect good principles of ALL types of learning. In this book, he talks about a concept called a “projective identity” and how it relates to learning.
A projective identity is an identity that one wants to have or become and is based on one's own values and desires. Gee says “to take on a projective identity, one must come to project their own values and desires onto their identity and on being and becoming a person of a certain sort, in their desired environment.”
He goes on to say that a person must see this identity as their own project in the making and that this is what creates ownership.
Gee says “people cannot learn in a deep way if they are not willing to commit themselves fully to their learning in terms of time, effort, and active engagement.”
And, such commitment usually requires that a person can see how their learning is connected to their desired future identity.
This concept has implications for students, faculty/instructors, and other professionals.
Students
For students, intentional use of activities that allow them to connect learning content to their desired identities can promote deeper learning.
For example, in a recent project I worked on for first-year medical students, one of the core outcomes of this course was to have the students create their own personalized definitions of “excellence” in healthcare and what it meant to provide “excellent healthcare”.
Throughout the course, students were asked to consider how each new concept learned throughout the course connected to their own idealized versions of themselves as future physicians and leaders.
Concepts were framed as tools for personal and professional excellence, such as:
creating psychological safety
inclusive practices
emotional intelligence
personal health literacy
humility
self-reflection
self-awareness
In addition, physicians making a difference in the community were brought in to share their personal stories of excellence and to provide exemplary role models and inspiration for how to define excellence.
Faculty/Instructions & Other Professionals
For faculty/instructors and other professionals, intentional reflection on who they want to be and become can promote deeper connection to their role and can help guide the types of attitudes and behaviors they project and the types of development they pursue.
In addition to the ones listed here, there are many more potential implications that could be very useful in the design of both personal and professional learning.
