Abstract
In today’s knowledge economy formal education establishments are faced with a number of challenges regarding the improvement of students’ learning. With respect to the need for promoting educational reforms, technology can play a catalytic role by providing unique opportunities for creating effective learning environments. Digital games constitute an example of a technological facilitator that can be exploited for the design and implementation of pedagogical innovations. Existing research provides evidence for the effectiveness of digital games with respect to achieving subject-specific learning objectives. However, there are relatively few efforts concerned with the investigation of their impact on the development of higher-order cognitive skills, as well as emotional and motivational outcomes. Furthermore, the lack of appropriate game-based assessment methods makes imperative the need for further research that will allow for establishing evidence-based conclusions about the learning effectiveness of digital games. Within this context, the aim of this book chapter is to provide an overview of research issues related to digital game-based learning with an emphasis on its application in formal education settings identifying differences between school and higher education.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A review of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
Annetta, L. A., Minogue, J., Holmes, S. Y., & Cheng, M. T. (2009). Investigating the impact of video games on high school students’ engagement and learning about genetics. Computers & Education, 53(1), 74–85.
Becta. (2009). The impact of digital technology: A review of the evidence of the impact of digital technologies on formal education. Retrieved from http://www.ictliteracy.info/rf.pdf/impact-digital-tech.pdf
Bottino, R. M., Ferlino, L., Ott, M., & Tavella, M. (2007). Developing strategic and reasoning abilities with computer games at primary school level. Computers & Education, 49(4), 1272–1286.
Chen, M. P., & Wang, L. C. (2009). The effects of types of interactivity in experimental game-based learning. Proceedings of 4th International Conference on eLearning and Games, Edutainment 2009 (pp. 273–282), Banff, Canada.
Chen, Z. H., & Chan, T. W. (2010). Using game quests to incorporate learning tasks within a virtual world. Proceedings of 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies 2010 (pp. 750–751), Sousse, Tunisia.
Commission of the European Communities. (2005). Proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament and of the council on key competences for lifelong learning. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/keyrec_en.pdf
Connolly, T. M., & Stansfield, M. H. (2006). Using games-based eLearning technologies in overcoming difficulties in teaching information systems. Journal of Information Technology Education, 5, 459–476.
Dondi, C., & Moretti, M. (2007). A methodological proposal for learning games selection and quality assessment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(3), 502–512.
Dumbleton, T., & Kirriemuir, J. (2006). Digital games and education. In J. Rutter & J. Bryce (Eds.), Understanding digital games (pp. 233–240). London: Sage.
Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S. (2005). Beyond edutainment: Exploring the educational potential of computer games. PhD dissertation, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. (2006). Unlimited learning: Computer and video games in the learning landscape. Retrieved from http://www.org.id.tue.nl/ifip-tc14/documents/ELSPA-report-2006.pdf
Entertainment Software Association. (2012). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry. Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf
Fonseca, B., Morgado, L., Paredes, H., Martins, P., Goncalves, R., Neves, P., et al. (2012). PLAYER: A European project and a game to foster entrepreneurship education for young people. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 18(1), 86–105.
Garris, R., Ahlers, R., & Driskell, J. E. (2002). Games, motivation, and learning: A research and practice model. Simulation and Gaming, 33(4), 441–467.
Gee, J. P. (2007a). What videogames have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave McMillan.
Gee, J. P. (2007b). Good video games and good learning: Collected essays on video games, learning and literacy. New York: Peter Lang.
Hense, J., & Mandl, H. (2012). Learning in or with games? Quality criteria for digital learning games from the perspectives of learning, emotion, and motivation theory. Proceedings of IADIS International Conference on Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digital Age, Madrid, Spain.
Interactive Software Federation of Europe. (2010). Video gamers in Europe 2010: Prepared for the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) by GAmeVision Europe. Retrieved from http://www.isfe.eu/content/video-gamers-europe-2010-gamevision-study
Jørgensen, K. (2003). Problem solving: The essence of player action in computer games. Proceedings of Level Up: Digital Games Research Conference 2003, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Juul, J. (2003). The game, the player, the world: Looking for a heart of gameness. Proceedings of Level Up: Digital Games Research Conference (pp. 30–45), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Ke, F. (2008). A case study of computer gaming for math: Engaged learning from gameplay? Computers & Education, 51(4), 1609–1620.
Kearney, M. L. (2009). Higher education, research and innovation: Charting the course of the changing dynamics of the knowledge society. In V. L. Meek, U. Teichler, & M. L. Kearney (Eds.), Higher education, research and innovation: Changing dynamics (pp. 7–23). Kassel: Unesco Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge.
Kim, B., Park, H., & Baek, Y. (2009). Not just fun but using strategies: Using meta-cognitive strategies in game-based learning. Computers & Education, 52(4), 800–810.
Kim, S., & Chang, M. (2010). Computer games for the math achievement of diverse students. Educational Technology & Society, 13(3), 224–232.
Kirriemuir, J., & McFarlane, A. (2004). Literature review in games and learning. Retrieved from http://telearn.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/19/04/53/PDF/kirriemuir-j-2004-r8.pdf
Klopfer, E. (2008). Augmented learning: Research and design of mobile educational games. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Kolb, D. A., Boyatzis, R. E., & Mainemelis, C. (2001). Experiential learning theory: Previous research and new dimensions. In R. J. Sternberg & L. F. Zhang (Eds.), Perspectives on thinking, learning and cognitive styles (pp. 193–210). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Lainema, T., & Makkonen, P. (2003). Applying constructivist approach to educational business games: Case REALGAME. Simulation and Gaming, 34(1), 131–149.
McFarlane, A., Sparrowhawk, A., & Ysanne, H. (2002). Report on the educational use of games: An exploration by TEEM of the contribution which games can make to the education process. Retrieved from http://educationarcade.org/files/videos/conf2005/Angela%20MacFarlane-2.pdf
Michael, D. R., & Chen, S. L. (2006). Serious games: Games that educate, train and inform. Cincinnati, OH: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade.
Panoutsopoulos, I., & Sampson, D. (2012). A study on exploiting commercial digital games into school context. Educational Technology and Society Journal, 15(1), 15–27.
Papastergiou, M. (2009). Digital game-based learning in high school computer science education: Impact on educational effectiveness and student motivation. Computers & Education, 52(1), 1–12.
Prensky, M. (2006). Don’t bother me mom—I’m learning. Minnesota: Paragon House.
Prensky, M. (2007). Digital game-based learning. Minnesota: Paragon House.
Robertson, D., & Miller, D. (2009). Learning gains from using games consoles in primary classrooms: A randomized controlled study. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 1641–1644.
Sandford, R., Ulicsak, M., Facer, K., & Rudd, T. (2006). Teaching with games: Using commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education. Retrieved from http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/project_reports/teaching_with_games/TWG_report.pdf
Sandford, R., & Williamson, B. (2005). Games and learning. Retrieved from http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/games_and_learning2.pdf
Sedano, C. I., Sutinen, E., Vinni, M., & Laine, T. H. (2012). Designing hypercontextualized games: A case study with LieksaMyst. Educational Technology & Society, 15(2), 257–270.
Smed, J., & Hakonen, H. (2003). Towards a definition of a computer game. Turku: Centre for Computer Science. Retrieved from http://staff.cs.utu.fi/~jounsmed/papers/TR553.pdf
Smith, G. G., Majchrzak, D., Hayes, S., & Drobisz, J. (2011). Computer games versus maps before reading stories: Priming readers’ spatial situation models. Educational Technology & Society, 14(1), 158–168.
Tao, Y.-H., Cheng, C.-J., & Sun, S.-Y. (2012). Alignment of teacher and student perceptions on the continued use of business simulation games. Educational Technology & Society, 15(3), 177–189.
Torrente, J., Mera, P. L., Moreno-Ger, P., & Fernández-manjón, B. (2009). Coordinating heterogeneous game-based learning approaches in online learning environments. In Z. P. Adrian, D. Cheok, & W. Muller (Eds.), Transactions on edutainment II (Vol. 2, pp. 1–18). Berlin: Springer.
Tüzün, H., Yılmaz-Soylu, M., Karakuş, T., İnal, Y., & Kızılkaya, G. (2009). The effects of computer games on primary school students’ achievement and motivation in geography learning. Computers & Education, 52(1), 68–77.
UNESCO. (1998). World declaration on higher education for the twenty-first century: Vision and action/framework for priority action for change and development in higher education. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001173/117301e.pdf
UNESCO. (2005). Secondary education reform: Towards a convergence of knowledge acquisition and skills development. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001424/142463e.pdf
Van Eck, R. (2006). Digital game-based learning: It’s not just the digital natives who are restless. Educause Review, 41(2), 16–30.
Van Eck, R. (2007). Building artificially intelligent learning games. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M. Prensky (Eds.), Games and simulations in online learning (pp. 271–307). Hershey: Information Science Publishing.
Whitton, N. (2010). Learning with digital games: A practical guide to engaging students in higher education. New York: Routledge.
Williams, D. (2011). Impact of business simulation games in enterprise education. Paper presentation of the 2010 University of Huddersfield Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, pp. 11–20. Retrieved from http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/9651
Williamson Shaffer, D. (2006). Epistemic frames for epistemic games. Computers & Education, 46(3), 223–234.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Panoutsopoulos, H., Sampson, D.G., Mikropoulos, T. (2014). Digital Games as Tools for Designing and Implementing Pedagogical Innovations: A Review of Literature. In: Gosper, M., Ifenthaler, D. (eds) Curriculum Models for the 21st Century. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7366-4_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7366-4_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7365-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7366-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)