This book explores the efficacy of game-based learning to develop university students’ skills and competencies. While writing on game-based learning has previously emphasised the use of games developed specifically for educational purposes, this book fills an important gap in the literature by focusing on commercial games such as World of Warcraft and Minecraft. Underpinned by robust empirical evidence, the author demonstrates that the current negative perception of video games is ill-informed, and in fact these games can be important tools to develop graduate skills related to employability. Speaking to very current concerns about the employability of higher education graduates and the skills that university is intended to develop, this book also explores the attitudes to game-based learning as expressed by instructors, students and game developers.
These proceedings represent the work of contributors to the 14th European Conference on Games Based Learning (ECGBL 2020), hosted by The University of Brighton on 24-25 September 2020. The Conference Chair is Panagiotis Fotaris and the Programme Chairs are Dr Katie Piatt and Dr Cate Grundy, all from University of Brighton, UK.
This book addresses the role of appropriate, specialized, structured pedagogy for game-based learning. It is an important reference for researchers who have carried out studies in the field of game-based learning with a focus on the digital learning environment. The educational landscape has dramatically changed in times of global pandemic urging us to search for new solutions, new educational pathways, and new agents for knowledge development. There is a need to support learning by using digital learning materials during remote learning or distance learning, where pedagogically structured game-based learning elements can play a role in motivating students to achieve. Utilizing game-based learning in education is not new, but this book adds substantially to the research base of the topic. The book reveals many new concepts, such as, balancing games and learning, supporting knowledge development, supporting the development of motivation, supporting balanced cognitive load in an effort to avoid ineffective forms of game-based learning
A comprehensive introduction to the latest research and theory on learning and instruction with computer games. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the latest research on learning and instruction with computer games. Unlike other books on the topic, which emphasize game development or best practices, Handbook of Game-Based Learning is based on empirical findings and grounded in psychological and learning sciences theory. The contributors, all leading researchers in the field, offer a range of perspectives, including cognitive, motivational, affective, and sociocultural. They explore research on whether (and how) computer games can help students learn educational content and academic skills; which game features (including feedback, incentives, adaptivity, narrative theme, and game mechanics) can improve the instructional effectiveness of these games; and applications, including games for learning in STEM disciplines, for training cognitive skills, for workforce learning, and for assessment. The Handbook offers an indispensable reference both for readers with practical interests in designing or selecting effective game-based learning environments and for scholars who conduct or evaluate research in the field. It can also be used in courses related to play, cognition, motivation, affect, instruction, and technology. Contributors Roger Azevedo, Ryan S. Baker, Daphne Bavelier, Amanda E. Bradbury, Ruth C. Clark, Michele D. Dickey, Hamadi Henderson, Bruce D. Homer, Fengfeng Ke, Younsu Kim, Charles E. Kinzer, Eric Klopfer, James C. Lester, Kristina Loderer, Richard E. Mayer, Bradford W. Mott, Nicholas V. Mudrick, Brian Nelson, Frank Nguyen, V. Elizabeth Owen, Shashank Pawar, Reinhard Pekrun, Jan L. Plass, Charles Raffale, Jonathon Reinhardt, C. Scott Rigby, Jonathan P. Rowe, Richard M. Ryan, Ruth N. Schwartz, Quinnipiac Valerie J. Shute, Randall D. Spain, Constance Steinkuehler, Frankie Tam, Michelle Taub, Meredith Thompson, Steven L. Thorne, A. M. Tsaasan
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of games to enhance learning across multiple educational levels, and extensive research has shown that games have considerable potential for enhancing learning, motivation and skills development. However, despite a growing acknowledgement of this potential, challenges remain and the use of games in formal education contexts remains far from mainstream. While some studies identify design and development issues as a key barrier – including associated costs – others highlight organisational and infrastructural difficulties involved in implementing games in the classroom. More recently, increasing recognition of these difficulties has led many to explore how gaming elements (rather than fully fledged games) can be used to engage and enhance student learning – a practice now widely referred to as “gamification”. This edited collection of chapters explores the application, potential and challenges of game-based learning and gamification across multiple disciplines and sectors, including psychology, education, business, history, languages and the creative arts. With contributions exploring the use of games across the full educational spectrum – from early childhood education, through to the corporate sector – it provides comprehensive insights into the potential of games and play for facilitating learning and engagement at every life stage.
The world of esports in education is booming, and the field needs empirical studies to help ground much of what is going on in the field. Over the last couple years, there appears to be a large amount of anecdotal evidence surrounding esports and its role in education, but researchers, teachers, coaches, and organizations need peer-reviewed, research-based evidence so they can evolve the field at large. As the amount of esports teams and organizations continues to rise, so will the need for the field to provide empirical research about esports and education and the effect it has on students and those who partake in it. Esports Research and Its Integration in Education is an essential reference source for those interested in educational research related to esports topics as they are approached through multiple ages of schooling and infused throughout a variety of content areas and research methodologies. The book covers empirical studies that help practitioners to understand how esports is developing within and around learning institutions and what the impact may be on students and their contemporary educational experiences. Covering topics such as college and career readiness, literacy practices, and urban education, this text is essential for stakeholders involved in the rise of esports, administrators, teachers, coaches, researchers, students, and academicians.
Game-based resources provide opportunities to consolidate and develop a greater knowledge and understanding of both mathematical concepts and numeracy skills, which present opportunities and challenges for both teachers and learners when engaging with subject content. For learners for whom the language of instruction is not their first or main language, this can present challenges and barriers to their progress. This requires teachers to reconsider and adapt their teaching strategies to ensure the needs of these learners are fully addressed, thereby promoting inclusion and inclusive practices. The Handbook of Research on International Approaches and Practices for Gamifying Mathematics provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in teaching and learning mathematics in bilingual/plurilingual education by using active methodologies, specifically gamification and game-based learning and teaching. Covering a wide range of topics such as e-safety, bilingual education, and multimodal mathematics, this major reference work is ideal for policymakers, researchers, academicians, practitioners, scholars, instructors, and students.
