Use Of Digital Games Research Articles

Innovating the Instruction of Mathematical Concepts: How Does the Integrated Use of Digital Games and Language-Based Teaching Matter?

OPINION article Front. Psychol., 22 April 2022Sec. Language Sciences Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.858442

DIGITAL GAMES AS HERITAGE SAFEGUARDING AND/OR (RE)PRESENTATION TOOL

The accelerated development of digital games over the past few decades, together with the expansion of the range of devices on which they can be used (mobile games), the huge growth of the industry, and the constantly rising gaming population make digital games an ideal tool for popularizing heritage (natural, cultural, tangible and intangible), although this potential is still underutilized. The use of digital games in the representation of heritage would serve as a good combination of protection and promotion of heritage on the one hand, and creative industries on the other, because the use of heritage in digital (re)interpretations of reality in no way endangers real preserved spaces, objects and/or relationships, although their different uses and readings are possible. This could also give (relatively) small and unknown independent studios the opportunity to attempt a new approach in digital game design and thus break into the market more easily.

Out-of-school language learning through digital gaming: a case study from an activity theory perspective

This study applies Activity Theory to describe and analyze an out-of-school project in which eight Chinese university students utilized a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) to learn English. Based on data collected through questionnaires, gaming journals, gaming recordings and interviews, thematic analysis was performed to identify the recurrent themes, which were then mapped onto the activity system. Four contradictions were identified in the process. Temporary contradictions dominated the early phase of the project and were easily resolved. However, inherent contradictions, mainly manifesting themselves through inadequate competence and learner variation, remained unresolved. Efforts to overcome these tensions resulted in the evolvement of the activity system. In terms of the actual outcomes, there was evidence for the development and exercise of autonomy. Learners also reported enhanced confidence and gains in vocabulary, listening and oral fluency. The study contributes new knowledge to the field by revealing how non-gamers make use of digital gaming for language learning in an informal setting. Pedagogical implications for digital game-based language learning are discussed and suggestions for future research are also provided.

Teachers’ experience with digital games in Czech primary schools

The article deals with the issue of using computer games in education in primary schools. Our quantitative survey of 586 primary school teachers from the Czech Republic focuses on the teachers’ experience with the use of computer games in teaching. Our goal was to determine the teachers’ attitudes to the use of these games in their practice, the degree of involvement of the games in the educational process, and the analysis of the relationships between the games, the educational curriculum, and pupils. Our research also examines issues preventing a greater use of digital games in education. Quantitative research was conducted by a questionnaire survey, was disseminated online and the subsequent analysis was performed using the software SPSS version 24. The results say that half of the respondents use digital games in their teaching. Most respondents use games created for the educational environment and as a means to introduce a new teaching material, or to verify students' knowledge. The biggest problem that respondents identify is the lack of information and methodological and didactic materials, or insufficient technical equipment. This study presents the first larger data sample regarding the use of digital games by teachers in the Czech Republic.

The Development, Use, and Evaluation of Digital Games and Quizzes in an Introductory Course on Organic Chemistry for Preservice Chemistry Teachers

Due to the COVID pandemic, the introductory course on organic chemistry was developed and conducted as an online course. To ensure methodical variety in this course, educational games and quizzes have been developed, used, and evaluated. The attendance of the course, and therefore also the use of the quizzes and games, was voluntary. The quizzes’ main goal was to give the students the opportunity to check whether they had memorized the knowledge needed in the course. Another goal was to make transparent which knowledge the students should memorize by rote. The evaluation shows that the students had not internalized all knowledge which they should apply in several tasks on organic chemistry. They answered multiselect questions in general less well than single-select questions. The games should combine fun with learning. The evaluation of the games shows that the students rated them very well. The students used those games again for their exam preparation, as the monitoring of accessing the games showed. Students’ experiences with using electronic devices in general or for quizzes and games have also been evaluated, because their experience could influence the students’ assessment of the quizzes and games used in our study. However, the students used electronic devices regularly and should therefore be technically competent to use our quizzes and games. The evaluation showed that the use of digital games for learning purposes is not very common, neither at school nor at university, although the students had worked with such tools before. The students are also very interested in using and developing such digital games not only for their own study, but also for their future work at school.

Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes toward Digital-Game-Based Language Learning

There is a good body of literature about digital-game-based language learning (DGBL), but research has mainly focused on students as game players rather than as future educators. This paper reports on a research conducted among 154 teacher candidates at a higher-education institution in Spain regarding the adoption of digital games in education. It analyzes the participants’ knowledge of and attitudes toward digital games in foreign language learning. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a pre/post-test, digital game presentations, and student blog posts. The research comprised five stages associated with critical thinking skills (definition, selection, demonstration, discussion, and reflection), including a game learning module. In the first two stages, preservice teachers completed the module activities and selected different games aimed at teaching English to children in preschool and elementary education. In the last two, they illustrated, discussed, and evaluated the digital games in class following a rubric and reflected on their perception in blog posts. In this four-week research based on a mixed method and convenience sampling, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a pre- and post-test survey about student perceptions toward the use of video game in the classroom, class discussion, and blog posts. Statistical data analysis unveiled gender-based differences related to gameplay frequency and genre preferences. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used as a nonparametric statistical hypothesis test to compare the two sets of scores resulting from the same participants, and it showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) after the treatment in two of the five dimensions in the survey about teacher candidates’ attitudes toward game usage in education, namely, usefulness (U) and preference for video games (PVG). Research findings revealed preservice teachers’ positive attitudes but lack of practical knowledge about the use of digital games in foreign-language learning.

How to Achieve Goals in Digital Games: An Empirical Test of a Goal-Oriented Model in Pokémon GO

To effectively design digital games and gamified systems, it is important to properly understand the psychological and behavioral processes that players use to reach goals. Although numerous prior studies have examined individual adoption, use, and continued use of digital games, few attempts have been made to understand how people desire and strive to achieve goals. The objective of this study is to develop and test a model of individual achievement of goals in digital gaming. Drawing upon theories of goal-directed behavior, we propose a conceptual model describing goal setting, goal striving, goal attainment, and feedback evaluations in the context of mobile gaming. To empirically test the proposed model, we collected two sets of (cross-sectional and longitudinal) data from 407 users of Pokemon GO. The results generally indicate that goal-directed effort plays an important role in translating goal desire into goal attainment. In addition, we found prior game points and goal desire have interaction effects on goal-directed effort and the subsequent acquisition of game points. Finally, this study shows that action strategies such as in-game payment and deliberate planning have differential effects on goal-directed effort and satisfying experiences. Overall, our findings provide empirical support for the efficacy of our goal-oriented model as a theoretical tool for explaining the process of goal striving to obtain game points. Our findings not only have important implications for digital gaming but also contribute to emerging research on gamified systems.

Executive Functions, Motor Development, and Digital Games Applied to Elementary School Children: A Systematic Mapping Study

Studies show that executive functions and motor development are associated with each other and with learning ability. A more technological lifestyle combined with digital culture should be considered a viable alternative to stimulate children’s development. Therefore, this study aimed to present a systematic mapping of the literature involving executive functions, motor development, and the use of digital games in intervention programs for elementary school children from 6 to 11 years old. Four databases were researched: PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct, and SCOPUS, including publications between 2012 and March 2021. The initial results indicated 4881 records. After the selection process, 15 manuscripts that presented the central theme of the study were selected. The main results indicated that intervention strategies are rather heterogeneous. Most of the studies demonstrated efficient results after intervention protocols, many of them were conducted in Europe, and 46% occurred in a school environment. No research was identified involving technological solutions using executive functions, motor development, and digital games in an integrated manner. Hence, this constitutes a field of future scientific research.

How Can the Use of Digital Games in Mathematics Education Promote Students’ Mathematical Reasoning? A Qualitative Systematic Review

How Can the Use of Digital Games in Mathematics Education Promote Students’ Mathematical Reasoning? A Qualitative Systematic Review

The use of digital games in the professional training of social pedagogues: realities and perspectives

The article presents the possibilities of using digital games in the process of professional training of social educators. It was found that for the development of digital game-centered learning it is necessary to combine the efforts of public, private, charitable and public institutions and organizations that prepare for game design, training, organize exhibitions, competitions, festivals, which is the main direction of modern education as an important component. Competencies of the 21st century were talked about. It is determined that the use of computer games enhances the freedom of experiment, identity and social rewards, deepens personal experience by developing three basic needs for training motivation: competence (student feels the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills); autonomy (the student feels control over the educational process); interconnectedness (the student feels the connection with colleagues during the educational process). It is proved that the use of digital games in the professional training of social educators is an innovative and promising vector for the modernization of the educational process in modern higher education institutions as a whole.

Pre-service teachers’ views about the use of digital educational games for collaborative learning

Pre-service teachers’ views about the use of digital educational games for collaborative learning

Usefulness of Digital Serious Games in Engineering for Diverse Undergraduate Students

The use of educational digital games as supplemental tools to course instruction materials has increased over the last several decades and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Though these types of instructional games have been employed in the majority of STEM disciplines, less is known about how diverse populations of students interpret and define the value of these games towards achieving academic and professional pursuits. A mixed-method sequential exploratory research design method that was framed on the Technology Acceptance Model, Game-Based Learning Theory and Expectancy Value Theory was used to examine how 201 students perceived the usefulness of an intuitive education game that was designed to teach engineering mechanics used in designing civil structures. We found that students had different expectations of educational digital games than games designed for entertainment used outside of classroom environments. Several students thought that the ability to design their own structures and observe structure failure in real-time was a valuable asset in understanding how truss structures responded to physical loading conditions. However, few students thought the educational game would be useful for exam (14/26) or job interview (19/26) preparation. Students associated more value with engineering games that illustrate course content and mathematical calculations used in STEM courses than those that do not include these elements.

The USE OF DIGITAL GAMES IN EFL LEARNING

Games in general have the effective role in motivating and engaging individuals because of the fun they encompass, thus, are considered as useful instruments from which players can learn language through interacting and communicating with others via using English. And because of the ongoing growth of technology, many innovations have been developed to be integrated in education, in general, and English language, in particular. This study is designed to stress the effectiveness of the use of digital games in language learning. It also investigates the language teachers’ attitudes towards the use of digital games in their classrooms. A questionnaire has been constructed for this purpose. The study has revealed that the use of digital games as tools for learning English language is effective, motivating and engaging. Yet in order to apply such innovation, there are many challenges and obstacles that need to be solved and tackled.

Attitudes Toward the Integration of Digital Games Into Instruction in Teacher Education Colleges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim/Purpose: This paper examines how senior academic staff from a large sample of teacher education colleges regard the integration of digital games into teacher instruction. These colleges serve general or religious populations, and we examine what, in practice, their policy and vision were in this regard in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: The sudden adoption of online teaching-learning due to the pandemic has been termed disruptive in that it drastically disturbed higher education in Israel and worldwide. The senior academic staff of Israel’s colleges of education was responsible for leading policy decision-making during this period. The use of digital games for pedagogic purposes may be direct when used for knowledge acquisition and reinforcement and student development or indirect. Methodology: Using semi-structured interviews, the current study applied an interpretive-constructivist approach to examine how senior academic staff from several teacher education colleges perceived the integration of digital games into teacher instruction and elicit their policy and vision in this regard, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Contribution: The findings suggest that discussions surrounding technology-related vision and policy and their translation into practice should relate to the specific cultural needs and academic preparedness of the population(s) served by the college. Findings: Half the participants expressed a desire to integrate digital games into teaching and learning but acknowledged that in practice this was uncommon. Only a small minority considered themselves to have achieved successful integration in practice, with doubt and skepticism expressed by some of the religious colleges. Most colleges had policies to encourage the integration of technology in general into teaching, with these, in turn, supported by ongoing funding. Although a considerable gap between policy and implementation remained, the COVID-19 pandemic was viewed as having considerably accelerated the integration of digital games into preservice teacher instruction. Recommendations for Practitioners: Discussions pertaining to technology-related vision and policy and their translation into practice should relate to the specific cultural needs and academic preparedness of the population(s) served by the college. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings reflect the spectrum of challenges faced by the different populations the colleges employ and serve and the outcomes of the colleges’ ongoing attempts to negotiate and reconcile different concerns. Impact on Society: The findings have implications wherever colleges serve other socially and culturally conservative populations that are interested in or compelled to adopt techno-pedagogies. Future Research: We call for further research into whether continued pandemic-related restrictions have increased the practical integration of techno-pedagogical tools such as digital games into the curricula of teacher education colleges.

The effect of the training program of digital game design and escape rooms on science and art center teachers' technology acceptance, digital game development self-efficacy and use of digital games

In this research, it is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digital game design and escape room training given to teachers working with gifted students in Science and Art Centers within the scope of 4005 Science and Society Innovative Education Practices Program supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) on their technology acceptance, use of digital games, and digital game development self-efficacy. In this context, a single group pre-test post-test model was used in the study carried out with the experimental design. The sample group was determined according to criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling techniques. 30 teachers working in different disciplines in six Science and Art Centers in İzmir were included in the study. Within the scope of the research, six-day trainings were given to the teachers by eight field experts. As data collection tools, "knowledge and awareness test on the use of technology in education and digital games", "technology acceptance scale for teachers", "digital educational game development self-efficacy scale" and "the scale of benefiting from digital games in education" were used. Whether there is a significant difference between the mean scores was tested with the dependent samples t test when the normality assumption was met, and with the Wilcoxon signed ranks test when it was not. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that there was a significant difference between the use of digital games, technology acceptance, digital game development self-efficacy and achievement test scores, and these differences were in favor of the post-tests. In addition, according to the scores obtained from the scales, it was determined that there was no significant difference in terms of the gender of the teachers and the education was effective for both genders.

Examination of Mothers' Opinions Regarding Children's Digital Playing

The first periods of human life are defined as critical periods by educators. The child's recognizing and making sense of the outside world usually starts in this period and the child harmonizes this process through play. Especially in childhood education and development, play is an indispensable part of life for children. While technological developments make life easier in many areas, they sometimes make people addicted. Therefore, with the widespread use of digital games, a computer addiction occurs in society. The aim of this study is to reveal the views of mothers about children playing digital games. The research is a qualitative study. The research group consists of 30 mothers and this study group was determined by the maximum variation sampling method. In the study, face-to-face interview technique was used on a voluntary basis with 10 mothers who have children under 6 years old. In the research, using the interview method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, the data obtained were analyzed by the content analysis method. As a result of the research, mothers see play as a means of entertainment, socialization and education in terms of children's development. In addition, the research group stated that they could not spare time for children due to intense daily working conditions and children tended to digital games. They stated that when digital games are mentioned, they think of computer, telephone and technological games. As a result, mothers stated that digital games affect the development of children negatively and create addiction in children. In addition, it has been concluded that mothers, digital games create a lack of communication in children, keep them away from social life and slow down their social development.

Journeying to the actual World through digital games: The Urban Histories Reloaded project

The paper aims at reflecting on the potential of digital games to convey meaning, tell stories and, most importantly, become a tool to discover and experience the actual world. Using as a case study the experience of the Urban Histories Reloaded. Creatività videoludica per azioni di cittadinanza (Urban Histories Reloaded. Digital Game Creativity for citizenship actions) project (UHR), we will discuss the role digital games can play in activating territorial processes, by favouring the engagement with the actual world as well as with playful approaches to city living. In particular, we will focus on the artist residency for game designers, game artists, and game programmers held in Padua between September and October 2020 within the frame of the project and on its main outcome, the mobile game MostaScene. MostaScene consists of a fifteen-minute mobile game set in District 5 Armistizio-Savonarola of Padua. Both its design and its overall content have intertwined with the urban space since the very beginning. Above all, we will inspect the use of digital games for city-making actions via two different paths: on the one hand, through the involvement of stakeholders (public institutions and specific groups, but also and most importantly citizens) as co-designers; on the other hand, using digital games as non-functional experiences that may encourage innovative interpretations of the urban space for player. From a theoretical perspective, this research requires us to look at digital games as both fictional worlds that involve imagination and interpretation, as well as digital worlds that are experienced as part of reality in a phenomenological sense. Once this is acknowledged, we can provide an overview of how games can tackle reality and engage with the actual world.

Fostering digital literacy and German language with the use of digital learning games in the middle school

In this article, fostering the German language using digital learning games plays the central role. The endless possibilities of digital media and tools for language acquisition offer teachers and learners the opportunity to learn a foreign language creatively, playfully, in a fascinating way and with a certain degree of facilitation in teaching. Through our research we tried to prove the priority of digital media in the field of education and formation. We selected as the target group of the research the pupils of two fifth grades, who learn German as a foreign language in a Romanian school. The use of the chosen learning game led to a considerable increase in the participation of the students in German lessons, created a suitable learning atmosphere in the room and increased the motivation of the participants. The results of this research prove what we expected for the relationship between German lessons and the use of digital learning games in the classroom.

Children’s and teachers’ views on digital games in the EFL classroom

Abstract At a time marked by the increasing use of technology in education, the study presented in this paper explores and compares teachers’ and children’s views on the use of digital games in class. A case study is presented in a primary school setting where tablets have been fully integrated into the EFL classroom. A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyse data from teachers and students through interviews and questionnaires. Findings are presented which compare and contrast student and teacher views on: important elements to take into account when teaching/learning English; student behaviour; affective states; and the effects of digital games on learning. Contrasting perceived positive and negative effects of using digital games, the findings support claims that more work is needed to incorporate new technologies within classroom practice in ways which foster learner-centred models and facilitate the learning and well-being of all students.

Opinions of Pre-Service Teachers on The Use of Educational Digital Games in Science Lessons

In this study, the opinions of pre-service teachers on the use of educational digital games in science lessons were examined. The research model of the study is qualitative model. The criterion sampling method, which is one of the purposive sampling methods, was used in the selection of the study group. The study group consists of 12 undergraduate 4th grade teacher candidates who study at a state university and choose the elective course called “Science Education with Games”. In the study, 12 pre-service teachers developed educational digital games in an elective undergraduate course for one semester and presented the games they developed to other pre-service teachers. All processes were carried out online. The data in the study were obtained in the 2020-2021 academic year. Semi-structured interview was used as data collection tool. For semi-structured interviews, semi-structured interview form was implemented to pre-service teachers before and after the implementation. In data analysis, qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted. As a result of the study, it was seen that the opinions of the pre-service teachers about the use of educational digital games in the science lesson were positive. In addition, pre-service teachers stated that the use of educational digital games provides learning with fun.