Game-making as constructionist learning
I study how game making can function as a learning method rather than only an output format, especially when learners design systems, rules, and feedback as part of understanding a concept.
Sichuang Fan
Western University
Designing learning systems where curriculum, games, and emerging technology become usable practice.
Sichuang Fan designs learning systems that turn curriculum goals, competencies, and educational technologies into usable standards, tools, and workflows for teachers and learners.
Selected research
Current research connects game-making, systems thinking, learner agency in AI-supported creative programming, teacher learning, and evidence synthesis.
View all researchSystems thinking and curriculum design
I am interested in how curriculum can support systems thinking by helping learners trace relationships, feedback loops, and consequences across connected parts of a problem or environment.
Teacher learning and curriculum enactment
I examine how educators interpret curriculum goals and translate them into learning tasks, facilitation, feedback, and assessment, including the role boundaries and accountability structures that shape their work.
Learner agency in AI-supported creative programming
I study how learners can remain designers of their own projects by decomposing goals, expressing system relationships, observing milestone evidence, and revising their work before and alongside AI code generation.
Evidence synthesis and methodological review
I investigate how educational intervention reviews report, specify, and use quality appraisal, and develop coding frameworks and appraisal tools to strengthen the interpretation of research evidence.
Selected projects
Selected projects connect curriculum design, structured knowledge bases, teacher workflows, and AI-supported learning infrastructure.
Make Games with Sichuang
A bilingual tabletop game design course in 7 parts and 28 chapters. Starting with Snakes and Ladders, learners explore real games, change rules, test ideas, and develop a playable game of their own.
Rule Lab, Learn by Playing
A playable game about game design. Start with Rock-Paper-Scissors, then add abilities, cards, and contested spaces to experience how changing and combining rules reshapes players’ choices.
Starting Point Studio
An AI-supported creative programming studio for learners aged 6-14, foregrounding goal decomposition, system relationships, milestone evidence, preview observation, and learner-owned revision. Its Systems-Before-Code framework grounds the accepted ICCE 2026 paper.
Selected art work
Art Work gathers essays, videos, and other exploratory pieces where research, critique, and media practice can sit beside each other.