Abstract
Despite the prevalence of game-based learning (GBL), most applications of GBL focus on teaching routine skills that are easily teachable, drill-able, and testable. Much less work has examined complex cognitive skills such as computational thinking, and even fewer are projects that have demonstrated commercial or critical success with complex learning in game contexts. Yet, recent successes in the games industry have provided examples of success in game-based complex learning. This article represents a series of case studies on those successes. We interviewed game designers Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger, creators of Good Sudoku, and Zach Barth, creator of Zachtronics games, using reflexive thematic analysis to thematize findings. We additionally conducted a close play of Duolingo following Bizzocchi and Tanenbaum’s adaptation of close reading. Several insights result from these case studies, including the practice of game design as instructional design, the use of constructionist environments, the tensions between formal education and informal learning, and the importance of entrepreneurialism. Specific recommendations for GBL designers are provided.
Highlights
Game-based learning (GBL) has become widely popular in recent years, few applications of game-based learning (GBL) have considered complex cognitive skills such as computational thinking and language learning
Our background in game-based learning comes from scholars like Gee (e.g., [1,2]), as well as theories on constructionist and constructivist learning [3], and instructional design for complex learning [4]
We conclude that while many design principles are being developed for GBL more generally, there is as of yet scarce information on what makes GBL applications (a) commercially successful, or (b) successful in complex domains such as computational thinking and language learning
Summary
Game-based learning (GBL) has become widely popular in recent years, few applications of GBL have considered complex cognitive skills such as computational thinking and language learning. Similar work includes the understanding of educational games compared to commercial games [5] and the recent work on resonant games by Klopfer et al [6], which attempts to present design recommendations for the design and use of educational games in the classroom. From this theoretical background, we conclude that while many design principles are being developed for GBL more generally, there is as of yet scarce information on what makes GBL applications (a) commercially successful, or (b) successful in complex domains such as computational thinking and language learning
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