Game-based Learning Strategies Research Articles

Can Game-Based Learning Help to Increase the Awareness of Water Management in Uganda? A Case Study for Primary and Secondary Schools

In the Ugandan curriculum, theoretical teaching predominates in conveying water-related topics due to its efficiency and low resource requirements. However, this teacher-centred approach limits student interaction and collaborative learning. Conversely, game-based learning can enhance social skills, critical thinking, and engagement, yet it remains underutilised in Ugandan education. To address this gap, this study developed three educational games: Water Conservation Snakes and Ladders (WCSL), Water Awareness Quartet Cards (WAQC), and Water Pollution Puzzle (WPP). These games were implemented in four schools—three primary and one secondary—where students engaged in competitive, team-based play. The impact of these games on learning outcomes was assessed through pre- and post-test questionnaires. Descriptive and thematic analysis indicated a significant positive effect, with WAQC showing a 25% greater influence on performance than WCSL (18%) and WPP (14%). The findings also underscored the importance of age in determining game acceptability and enjoyment. To enhance education on water-related issues, it is recommended that these topics be integrated into both Science and Social Studies curricula and taught consistently across academic terms. Ultimately, the Ugandan government should consider incorporating game-based learning strategies into schools to improve student engagement and learning in water resource management.

Exploring Current Challenges and Opportunities in Media Literacy Skills for Youth: Stakeholders’ Perspectives

The widespread dissemination of contradictory information through various media platforms can increase anxiety and confusion among younger generations. This highlights the need to promote Media Literacy (ML) skills, enabling them to evaluate online information's validity critically. Video game-based learning can be valuable in this context, fostering active learning and critical thinking. Therefore, developing and sharing innovative resources like interactive content and video games is crucial to enhancing young people's ML skills and resilience to disinformation. The YO-MEDIA project, involving three universities in Italy, Portugal, and Spain and a journalist association, aims to develop ML in young people during times of crisis (e.g., pandemics and wars) through game-based learning strategies and professional training. The project carried out 29 semi-structured interviews in the partner countries with various stakeholders to understand perspectives on media design practices and ML formulation for young people in crises. These interviews aimed to collect education and media professionals' insights on promoting ML and critical thinking among youth during crises. It also seeks to gather best practices and understand these professionals' challenges when fostering ML among youth. This study's findings suggest that the interviewees deem ML vital for distinguishing accurate information from misinformation during crises, especially relevant for young individuals. Essential skills for these young people include critical thinking, filtering information, and recognizing online threats. Effective strategies involve operating within digital environments frequented by young people, encouraging critical thinking, and nurturing collaboration. Professionals face challenges such as a lack of training, engaging young people's attention, and keeping pace with digital environments. The interviewees also emphasized the importance of ML training for informal educators and media professionals. They recommended Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for their flexibility and accessibility. According to the interviewees, an ML game should involve research, interpretation, and decision-making processes and be accessible to young people with disabilities. They identified several ML projects and resources, including multimedia labs, youth parliaments, and critical thinking tools. This study contributes to developing games that promote critical thinking and ML in young people. It also aids in establishing ongoing professional training in ML for informal educators, teachers, media professionals, and other stakeholders.

Fun and Functional: Using Non-Digital Games to Promote Maths Engagement in Pre-service Teachers

Humans naturally engage in playful activities throughout their lives and play serves as a fundamental mechanism for cognitive development as well as the development of essential soft skills such as teamwork, decision-making, leadership, and communication. Recognizing this innate predisposition for play, educators are increasingly embracing gamification strategies into their classrooms. More attention has been driven to digital tools such as platforms Kahoot! and Duolingo which gained popularity and demonstrated the potential of game-based learning to increase engagement and knowledge retention. However, concerns about digital screen time fuelled a renewed interest in non-digital activities, including educational games. Non-digital games are often more accessible and affordable, making them suitable for schools with limited resources. Research suggests that non-digital games can effectively promote collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. In addition, they offer flexibility to teachers to adapt rules and scenarios to specific learning objectives and student needs. Recognizing the benefits of employing games as a pedagogical strategy, the first author of this study opted to incorporate game-based learning strategies into her classes, on a regular basis. Throughout the semester, various non-digital games were implemented, inspired on well-known classics such as memory card games, Monopoly and Pictionary. These games were carefully designed to address specific mathematics topics identified as either the most relevant or those where students revealed more difficulties. The participants in this study were pre-service pre- and primary school teachers enrolled in a maths undergraduate course. Since these students are future educators, the games served a dual purpose: improving current learning experiences and providing teaching resources for their future classrooms. At the end of the semester, a survey was conducted to evaluate students’ perceptions towards the use of games in the mathematics teaching-learning process. In this paper we describe some of the games used in this study and analyse the results of the survey. Previous studies reveal that students generally welcome the incorporation of games, perceiving them as effective tools for enhancing motivation and promoting positive learning outcomes. Our findings corroborate these studies.

Use of game-based learning strategies for dermatology and dermoscopy education: a cross-sectional survey of members of the International Dermoscopy Society

Abstract Background Dermoscopy is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of various skin conditions. It increases sensitivity and specificity in skin cancer diagnosis, as well as in infectious, inflammatory and hair diseases. However, mastering the intricacies of dermoscopy can be challenging. In this context, innovative educational methods are sought, including game-based learning (GBL) strategies. Objectives To describe current perceptions, knowledge and use of GBL strategies in dermoscopy education, and identify strengths and challenges to enhance their use. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey with 25 questions was distributed to members of the International Dermoscopy Society ­between October 2022 and April 2023. Responses were collected and analysed using frequency analysis and graphical representation. Results In total, 801 responses were received. Of these, 46.6% of respondents were unfamiliar with gamification and serious games. Among those acquainted with these concepts, 56.3% reported using GBL strategies for education. Younger participants were more likely to use GBL strategies (P = 0.02). Participants familiar with GBL believed it enhanced medical education (78.5%) but should not entirely replace traditional teaching methods (96.0%). For dermoscopy education specifically, 22.1% of respondents had used GBL strategies, with Kahoot! (35.5%) and YOUdermoscopy (24.1%) being the most commonly used platforms. Respondents found gaming strategies to be fun (95.5%), motivating (91.0%) and valuable for e-learning (94.4%). Conclusions Results from this survey demonstrate a favourable perception of GBL strategies in dermatology education, including dermoscopy. While there are ongoing challenges in validation, GBL strategies are promising and valuable tools that can aid the learning and teaching experience. Addressing implementation barriers and validating existing games could optimize the impact of GBL on dermatology education.

The Diverse Development and Clinical Application of Game-Based Learning

The effectiveness of game-based learning strategies lies in the ability of these strategies to engage learners and enhance their motivation to learn. This is particularly important for today's younger generations, which are known to respond better to visual rather than textual information. Gamified education provides stimulating, realistic, and enjoyable learning experiences, helping students understand complex nursing knowledge and skills. The diversity of game-based learning tools, including based board games, escape room games, digital games, simulation games, mobile serious games, and virtual reality games, not only enhances students' learning effectiveness and skills but also improves their problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and ability to cope with various challenges in clinical care. In general, game-based learning is a strategy with great potential and importance. This strategy not only has profound implications for modern nursing education and clinical practice but also, through its promotion of innovative thinking and diversified applications, can effectively promote the learning motivation of nursing professionals, improve teaching effectiveness, and enhance professional abilities and self-directed learning capabilities. In an era in which medical knowledge is constantly evolving, game-based learning should be promoted and utilized to cultivate nursing professionals' capabilities effectively.

The Impact of a Digital Game-Based AI Chatbot on Students’ Academic Performance, Higher-Order Thinking, and Behavioral Patterns in an Information Technology Curriculum

In the age of intelligence, information technology (IT) education has become the focus of attention in the education sector. However, traditional teaching methods fall short in motivating students and fostering higher-order thinking and have difficulty providing a personalized learning experience. Although AI chatbots can provide instant feedback as an innovative teaching tool, it is still challenging to fully enhance learner engagement. Based on this, this study developed a digital game-based AI chatbot system to enhance students’ learning experience through digital game-based learning strategies. This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with the experimental group using a digital game-based AI chatbot and the control group using a traditional AI chatbot. A comparison was made between the two groups concerning student learning performance in IT courses, higher-order thinking (including problem-solving, computational thinking, and creativity), learning motivation, and flow experience. In addition, the behavioral patterns of high-achieving and low-achieving students in the experimental group were analyzed. The results showed that the experimental group was significantly better than the control group in academic performance, problem-solving, computational thinking, learning motivation, and flow experience, but there was no significant difference in creativity tendency. Behavioral pattern analysis showed that high-achieving students in the experimental group showed more systematic learning strategies, while low-achieving students relied more on immediate feedback and external help, but both high- and low-achieving groups were able to actively talk to the AI chatbot and actively explore problem-solving strategies in the digital game. Therefore, AI chatbots based on digital games can be effectively used in IT courses to help students construct knowledge and develop higher-order thinking.

Enhancing Environmental Education Through Location-Based Games (LBGs) in Biology Education

In recent years, location-based games have emerged as a potent tool for enhancing environmental awareness within the scope of biology education. This study examines the application of location-based games in biology education to foster environmental consciousness. The research investigates how these games support students' environmental awareness, motivation, and learning processes. It was observed that students' interest in and understanding of environmental issues increased through engagement with location-based games. These games offer students opportunities to practice and develop solutions for real-world problems, thereby promoting active learning in biology education. The findings suggest that location-based games can strategically enhance environmental education in biology by fostering a more profound connection between students and their surroundings. Additionally, the study reveals that this approach positively affects student achievement and their capacity to think critically about the environment. The integration of location-based games into biology curricula is recommended as a means to enrich learning experiences and to assist in developing essential skills for environmental stewardship. Overall, the study underscores the value of incorporating innovative game-based learning strategies to cultivate environmental literacy and engagement among students.

Https://www.jippublication.com/leveling-up-mathematical-skills-the-effectiveness-of-game-based-learning

This quantitative study, using an experimental approach, aimed to determine the effectiveness of game-based learning in teaching mathematics. The respondents were fourth-grade pupils in an elementary school in Aleosan, North Cotabato, Philippines. Data were gathered using a pre-test questionnaire adopted by the researcher and a researcher-made post-test questionnaire validated by experts. The data were analyzed using weighted means and paired and unpaired t-tests. Results revealed that academic performance in mathematics during the pre-test was poor. However, there was a highly significant difference between the scores before and after the intervention. There was also a significant difference between the control and experimental groups (t=-2.337, p=0.022), with the experimental group (M=19.18) scoring significantly higher than the control group (M=16.31). Based on the findings, it can be affirmed that implementing game-based learning strategies in mathematics instruction is highly effective, resulting in a notable enhancement of learners' academic performance compared to conventional teaching methods. Moreover, the results encourage teachers to revisit their instructional materials and integrate game-based learning materials aligned with specific learning objectives. Additionally, the study provides substantial evidence that game-based learning significantly enhances academic performance in mathematics compared to traditional instructional resources.

Development of numeracy skills: Analysis of students in junior high schools in Ambon City based on teacher's perspective

Numeration is important as it is a fundamental skill, but based on the evaluation of the Programme for International Student Assessment, showed that the student's numeration ability is still low. This study aims to analyze the various problems that occur in the development of numeration skills of high school students. The research was carried out at the Catholic High School in Ambon, with the subject of the research being teachers of mathematics and non-mathematics. This research is qualitative research using methods of narrative inquiry. Data collection techniques include questionnaires, interviews, and recording and documentation. The results of this research indicate that there are a number of issues with developing numeracy skills, one of which is the lack of implementation of classic game-based learning strategies. School facilities are inadequate to encourage increased student numeracy. The implementation of training for teachers to improve teacher numeracy is still rare, so it affects the lack of innovation of teachers in teaching by applying games as well as traditional games to improve numeracy.

Investigating the Impact of Game-Based Learning and Gamification Strategies in Physical Education: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

This research delves into the realm of integrating game-oriented learning strategies and gamification within the sphere of education, particularly focusing on physical education. The primary aim is to critically evaluate the evidence gathered over the last decade regarding the influence of game-based learning (GBL) and gamification on various research variables. The study encompasses an analysis of different educational levels, variables, game dynamics, and the diversity of games used. It also seeks to uncover the potential benefits of deploying such game-centric methods in educational settings. Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, this systematic review meticulously searches across five interdisciplinary databases. It includes a comprehensive screening process with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, focusing on quantitative experimental research that investigates the application of gamification and GBL in the context of physical education. The findings highlight the substantial role of GBL and gamification as effective educational tools, particularly noting their positive effects on student engagement, academic achievements, and the enhancement of health and physical fitness levels. The study underscores the necessity for further exploration into the specific needs and challenges faced by students engaged in learning through these innovative educational approaches.

The impact of Game-Based Learning (GBL) strategy on cultivating learners' computational thinking

This paper focuses on the graphical programming field and what effects would be brought to computational thinking by the utilization of game-based learning strategies. Through rewiewing related and newly published literature it occurs that there has been a wide range of solid proofs for its efficiency. Additionally, researcher also widen paths not only from literature review but also from the perspective of affordances to discuss the advantages of GBL strategy. Computational thinking may be used in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) area since nowadays people with inter-disciplinary talent are greatly needed. And as technology develops in a fast pace, computational thinking is developing into an essential part of the age of artificial intelligence for us to use, recognize, and evaluate AI-based technologies.

Using In-game Analytics to Explore Learning Dynamics of Information Literacy in a Social Media Simulator

The emergence of Game-Based Learning (GBL) strategies to promote critical thinking has generated a growing need for analytical tools able to assess their effectiveness. Current methods typically apply qualitative approaches such as focus groups and survey-based questionnaires evaluating players’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes before and after playing the game; these methods are flexible, and they provide valuable information, yet new methods are needed to improve our understanding of what is happening during a gameplay session.
 The challenge of understanding the internal dynamics of GBL are illustrated by the open debate on gamified disinformation inoculators. These educational tools teach players how to identify disinformation by training them with a small set of fake news displayed within a gaming experience. There is an ongoing debate on what exactly is being learnt with these inoculators as some studies suggest a positive effect while other ones reveal that they promote scepticism instead of resistance against fake news. It is argued that new analytical methods are required to capture the learning process: detailed data collection on gameplay would be extremely useful to identify the most useful traits of Game-Based Learning, while detecting potential limitations or negative effects of this valuable learning resource.
 This work presents a novel framework to assess GBL dynamics grounded on data analytics. The approach uses the potential of the Unity in-game analytics platform to collect detailed data on how players tackle the challenges posed by the game mechanics; this diverse information may include the full set of decisions and interactions of the player as well as additional information such as the number of tries or time lapse between interactions. The behavioural data is then combined with content metadata information to infer general learning dynamics amongst players.
 This analytical framework is applied to a social media simulator included in the video game Julia: A Science Journey. Results suggest that the framework can reveal novel insights including aspects such as the level of engagement of the players, the impact of the type of content on the correct assessment of fake news, and the relation between reading speed and performance.

ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF INTEGRATING DIGITAL GAME-BASED DECISION-MAKING INTO THE APPROPRIATE TEACHING OF BUSINESS ETHICS

As the increasing emphasis of game-based learning on teaching strategies, many researchers in dictated that implanting game-based learning strategies, which include the enjoyment and tasks for student to pass, in the digital learning system can guide students to enhance their learning motive to win game. Many teaching strategies were developed to improve programming skills instead of traditional business ethical class lecture. Among them, game-based learning are applied to enhance students learning. Nonetheless, they fail to engage students in deep thinking and reflections. To cope with this issue, a two-tier test-based learning system is proposed to enhance students’ learning performances and the flow experience in business ethical courses in this study.

USING TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL TO ANALYSE THE SUCCESSFUL CROWDFUNDING LEARNING GAME CAMPAIGNS

Due to the limited opportunities for financial supports to educators, Crowdfunding can be an effective channel to solicit funding sources for educators to develop new learning games. Understanding user perceptions of a successful learning game guided by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) could help educators to effectively adapt Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in developing more competitive learning games and secure more funding. This study used a user survey to assess the success of Kickstarter-funded learning game projects. Guided by TAM, the study derives eight perceived assessment dimensions, including three Usefulness dimensions: Representation mode, Narrative, Interaction; four Usability dimensions: Learning provision, Skill building, Rules, Assessment; and one Acceptance dimension: Motivation. The analysis of the online assessment survey (n=115) revealed that successful funded learning game projects are focused on usefulness and usability. Users perceived a wider gap between successful and unsuccessful crowdfunding learning games in Learning Provision, Representation Mode, and Skill building. These enable game-based learning strategies by spelling out game rules that support learning provision in skill building, which is reflected in a detailed and in-depth narrative in a coherent representation layout. According to bivariate and multivariate analysis, among all eight dimensions, Representation mode, Interactivity, Skill building, Rules, Narrative and Learning provision are key factors that significantly associate with entrepreneurial success for the learning game development. A crowdfunding learning game TAM based perception evaluation model was developed based on perceived acceptance, usefulness and usability. This study examines the pedagogical aspects of using TAM to analyze crowdfunding learning games to help educators better use ICT to create new learning games that provide more customized, active, and flexible learning experiences, improve feedback and assessment, and increase involvement and access to game development.

Learning by ruling: Use of videogames to simulate public economics management

The potential of serious games as powerful educational tools to achieve multiple learning outcomes, is commonly accepted. This study describes an active-learning educational activity based on three videogames for use in introductory economics courses to facilitate understanding of public economics management in three different levels of governance: local, national, and international. A post-activity survey and an essay are used to assess the student's perception of the usefulness of the method to achieve several learning outcomes. The results suggest that digital game-based learning strategies have the potential to help students understand the complexities of public economics management at different government levels. The combination of these three games also contributes to make the learning experience more enjoyable, increasing overall student satisfaction and fostering the acquisition of the key learning outcomes that are expected of graduate students in the areas of economics, business, and management, with a focus on sustainability. In this context, since students feel more engaged and find the activity interesting, this can lead to better learning outcomes.

Gamified Learning in Dermatology and Dermoscopy Education: A Paradigm Shift.

Teaching methods in medical education have been changing. More recent teaching modalities go beyond the traditional delivery of knowledge, promoting learning motivation and improving teaching and learning outcomes. For example, "gamification" and "serious games" are methodologies that use the principles of games to facilitate learning processes and the acquisition of skills and knowledge, thereby improving the attitude towards learning when compared to traditional teaching methods. Since dermatology is a visual field, images are a key component of different teaching strategies. Likewise, dermoscopy, a non-invasive diagnostic technique that allows the visualization of structures within the epidermis and upper dermis, also uses images and pattern recognition strategies. Although a series of Apps using game-based strategy have been created to teach and facilitate dermoscopy learning, studies are required to demonstrate their effectiveness. In this review, we summarize the current literature. This review summarizes the current evidence of game-based learning strategies in medical education, including dermatology and dermoscopy.

Impact of game-based learning strategies in student engagement in Health Professions education

Learning is enhanced when students are involved and engaged. However, in the past years there has been an increase in student disengagement. Class attendance is decreasing and students do not complete their assignments or turn work on time. Research has demonstrated that engagement allows the student to develop higher-level critical thinking, which is essential in Health Professions. Providing opportunities for this intellectual engagement is necessary to capture the student’s attention and numerous technologies have surged to meet this goal. One of the teaching resources utilized as an engagement tool in the classroom is gamification and game-based learning strategies. In this study, we developed game based educational resources and assessed their impact in student engagement and learning in Optometry students. A total of 66 students were enrolled in a Systemic Pathology course. The course used flipped instruction and students were asked to watch pre-recorded lectures or videos on a topic before the on-site session, where they worked in groups on a case based on that topic. The game-based learning approach was used for some of the course cases and consisted in using multiple games provided by the instructor to provide a short answer for the case questions. At the end of the semester, all the students completed a feedback questionnaire. The students reported that solving cases during class, independent of the use of games, was beneficial to their learning (79%). They perceived the use of games as enjoyable (68%) and reported an improvement in their learning (69% reporting from beneficial sometimes to very often) when compared to the traditional cases without the game component. Furthermore, we compared this cohort to the same course offered the previous year with no game-based activities to determine the impact on student performance. We found that the two groups obtained similar scores in the quizzes, final exam, and course average. In conclusion, the use of game-based learning strategies increased the engagement of the students and their perception of what they learned, however, it did not seem to improve their academic performance in the course. APS Teaching Career Enhancement Award This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Game-Based Learning Strategies and the Vocabulary Performance of Selected Grade Five Pupils

Game-Based Learning Strategies and the Vocabulary Performance of Selected Grade Five Pupils

Game-Based Learning Strategies and the Vocabulary Performance of Selected Grade Five Pupils

Strategies for teaching vocabulary help students understand and remember the vocabulary they have acquired through their language learning experience as vocabulary learning is one of the most important elements in the advancement of language learning and communication development. All other skills such as reading, writing, speaking, and listening are vocabulary-based. Relative to this, the study aimed at determining the effectiveness of Game-Based Learning Strategies in improving the Vocabulary Performance of Selected Grade Five Pupils. A quasi-experimental design was used to establish a cause-and-effect relationship among the variables. This study involved the selected Grade Five Pupils from Paaralang Elementarya ng Tipas. Two groups from different learning modalities were tested: one group was under Modular Distance Learning and the other group was from Online Distance Learning. The administration of the pretest and posttest were vital in measuring the performance of the students before and after their exposure to Game-Based Learning Strategies. The results of the study showed that there is a significant difference between the pretest and posttest of the respondents before and after exposure to Game-Based Learning Strategies. The use of the Vocabulary Wheel for Modular Distance Learning and Travel around the “words” for Online Distance Learning were found to be effective in terms of improving learners’ word knowledge, word association, and word consciousness. On the other hand, no significant difference was found in the posttest of the respondents from Modular and Online Distance Learning. This finding supported the notion that both game strategies can be used in improving students’ vocabulary performance in the two modes of learning delivery. This study also emphasizes the need to take into account the positive effects of game-based learning strategies in improving vocabulary performance. Choosing games and activities to help learners learn vocabulary effectively requires careful consideration. Keywords: Game-Based Learning Strategies, Vocabulary Performance, Quasi-Experimental Design, Philippines

Design of a dual-hierarchy scaffolding board game-based learning activity for EFL reading comprehension

Promoting English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ reading comprehension, improving their reading motivation, and reducing their anxiety have always been the focus of EFL researchers. Educational board games have gradually received attention from educators. Various studies have found that board game-based teaching can improve students’ learning performance, motivation, and classroom engagement, and contribute to increasing discussion. However, there are few discussions on board games in the field of EFL, so further discussion is necessary to fill the research gap of board games in EFL reading comprehension. This study developed a dual-hierarchical scaffolding board game activity framework integrating game-based learning (GBL) and scaffolding strategies, and used card board games as teaching materials to promote EFL students’ reading comprehension. The game activity framework provides a scaffolded language learning environment with dual-hierarchy concepts to support students in building successful reading strategies. Moreover, the verbal and visual representations are displayed together on the cards game component. Game mechanics can help students to link verbal and image information. On the other hand, this framework emphasizes allowing students to first use the group discussion and collaborative reading mode to conduct self-directed and game-based learning activities with the dual-hierarchy scaffolding strategy. Then the teacher guides the students to use the concepts learned in the game activities to analyse and read the text so that they can understand the text content. A quasi-experimental design was conducted in a high school English reading course to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The experimental results showed that the proposed framework not only significantly promoted the EFL students’ reading comprehension and learning motivation and decreased their learning anxiety, but also helped them maintain a high level of learning motivation in the process of the activities. It is expected that the proposed structure can lead to better EFL teaching practices.