Selected Research on Game-Based Learning and Education Gamification: An Annotated Bibliography

By Jamie Doiron for EDTECH 504

Thisannotatedbibliographycontains8articlespertainingtogamebasedlearning(GBL) anditsrootsinconstructivistandbehavioristlearningtheories.Theentriescontainavarietyof perspectivesonthesubjectaswellascasestudiesandexamplesofGBLinaction.Additionally, someentriesrecommendhowGBLcanbeadoptedinschools,evenintimesofeconomic hardship. YamSan,C.,&Tan,K.(2012).BecomingChemiststhroughGamebasedInquiryLearning:The CaseofLegendsofAlkhimia.ElectronicJournalOfELearning,10(2),185198. Dr.CheeYamSaniscurrentlyanassociateprofessorintheLearningSciences& TechnologiesAcademicGroupandtheLearningSciencesLabattheNationalInstituteof Education,NanyangTechnologicalUniversity.Hisresearchfocusesonnewmedia,specifically intheareaofgamebasedlearningandhehasdevelopedseveraleducationalgames.Dr.Kim ChweeTanisalsoanassociateprofessorattheNationalInstituteofEducationinSingapore.His mainareaofresearchfocusesonstudentsunderstandingofscienceconceptsaswellasthe developmentofsciencecurriculum.Thisarticlesuccessfullydemonstratesthatgamebased inquirylearningcanimprovestudentunderstandingandcomprehensioninascienceclassroom. Itisbasedonastudyofstudentswhousedagametolearnchemistryandcomparestheirpre andposttestscoreswithacontrolgroupwhodidnotusethegame.Comparedtootherarticles ongamebasedlearning,itissimilarinthatitprovidesacasestudyandconnectstheresultsto existingeducationaltheory.Thisisrelatedtomyresearchfocusbecauseitexamineshowand whygamebasedlearningcanbeusedtoimprovestudentengagementandachievementin school.

Foti,L.T.,&Hannafin,R.D.(2008).GamesandMultimediainForeignLanguageLearning. InternationalJournalOfEmergingTechnologiesInLearning,3(3),4044. Dr.RobertHannafiniscurrentlyanassociateprofessoroflearningtechnologyatthe UniversityofConnecticut.HereceivedhisPh.D.inlearningandinstructionaltechnologyfrom ArizonaStateUniversity.L.T.FotihastaughtChineseatHarvardUniversityandYaleUniversity. ThisarticlediscussesonlineinstructionaldesigninthecontextofChineselanguageeducation. Interestingly,theauthorsdiscoveredthroughacasestudythatstudentsgivenastorycontextfor theonlineactivitiesdidnotperformsignificantlybetteronassessmentsthanstudentswhodid

notreceiveastorycontext.Theauthorsrecommendthatinstructionaldesignersneedtoavoid includingunnecessaryinformation.Thisarticleseemstocontradictotherresearchin gamebasedlearningthatsuggestsastorycontextisapowerfulmotivatorforstudentsandcan driveengagementandachievement.Thisisrelatedtomyresearchfocusbecausealarge componentofgamebasedlearningisabouthowgameconcepts,suchasastoryline,canbe leveragedintheclassroomsetting.

Forsyth,E.(2012).LearningThroughPlay:GamesandCrowdsourcingforAdultEducation. Aplis,25(4),166173. EllenForsythisaconsultantforPublicLibraryServicesattheStateLibraryofNewSouth WalesinAustraliaandorganizedthefirstgamesandlibrariesseminarinAustralia.Shealsothe coleaderofTheBookendsScenarios,aReportonAlternativeFuturesforthePublicLibrary Network.Thisarticlediscusseshowgamesandcrowdsourcingcanbepartofongoinglearning supportsforadultsandcommunities.Sheadvocatesthatgameconceptsforlearningusedon childrencanbeappliedtoadultsandbelievesthatthelibraryshouldbethecreatorandmanager oftheseopportunities.Ibelievethatthiswouldrequireadramaticincreaseinfundingand research,butperhapsthepubliclibrarysituationinAustraliaisdramaticallydifferentthanthatin theUS.Thisisrelatedtomyresearchfocusbecauseitexploresadditionalwaysthatgame conceptscanbeappliedtonongameactivities,whichisthebasisfortheconceptof gamification.Thisarticleisuniqueinthatitdiscussesgamebasedlearninginanadult communityratherthanatraditionalschoolsetting.

CheeSiang,A.,Avni,E.,&Zaphiris,P.(2008).LinkingPedagogicalTheoryofComputerGames toTheirUsability.InternationalJournalOnELearning,7(3),533558. CheeSiangAngisalecturerinMultimediaandDigitalSystemsattheSchoolof EngineeringandDigitalArtsattheUniversityofKentandholdsaPh.D.insocialgaming. PanayiotisZaphirisisanAssociateProfessorattheDepartmentofMultimediaandGraphicArts attheCyprusUniversityofTechnologyandreceivedaPh.D.atWayneStateUniversityin HumanComputerInteraction.EinavAvniisassociatedwithCityUniversityinLondon.Thisarticle examineswhatgamesareandbreaksagamedownintoitselements.Theseelementsarethen tiedtoexistinglearningtheories.Iagreewiththewaythearticleanalyzesgamesaccordingto learningtheoryandbelievethatthiswillbeextremelyvaluableinmyresearchbecauseitlinks emergingeducationaltechnologytowidelyadoptededucationaltheoryandpractice.Similarto otherarticlesthatIhaveread,thisoneconnectsgamebasedlearningtoexistingeducational theory,butitisdifferentinthatitdoesthismuchmoreextensively.

O'Mara,J.(2012).Processdramaanddigitalgamesastextandactioninvirtualworlds:

developingnewliteraciesinschool.ResearchInDramaEducation,17(4),517534. doi:10.1080/13569783.2012.727624 JoAnneOMaraisaseniorlecturerintheschoolofeducationatDeakinUniversityin Australia.ShechairstheEnglishteachingmethodsubjectsandteachesthemastersresearch units.Herresearchinterestsincludedigitalgames.ShereceivedherPh.D.fromGriffith UniversityinBrisbane,Australia.Thisarticlediscussesdigitalgaminginthecontextofadrama class.ThesearetwothingsthatIdonotnormallyassociatewithoneanother,butthatiswhyI chosethisarticle.Itincludescasestudiesaboutlearningfromcomputergamesandshe theorizesnewpossibilitiesforusingcomputergamestoenhanceliteracy.Ilikethatthisarticle discussesamodelforhowtoapplygamestocurriculum,whichisunlikesomeoftheother articlesthatIhaveresearchedinthatitisverypractical.

Erenli,K.(2013).TheImpactofGamification.InternationalJournalOfEmergingTechnologiesIn Learning,8(1),1521.doi:10.3991/ijet.v8iS1.2320 KaiErenliisthedirectorofstudiesforfilm,tvandmediaproductionattheUniversityof AppliedSciencesinVienna,Austria.Hisresearchfieldsincludecomputerlaw,intellectual property,medialaw,virtualworlds,andcollaborativeworkspacesandmethods.Thispaper discussesthehistoryofthetermgamificationandexaminestheimpactthatitcanhaveon teaching.SimilartothearticlebyOMara,thispublicationattemptstoprovidescenariosforthe adoptionofgamificationintheclassroom.Ilikethatisisamorepracticalthantheoretical discussiononthetopicandthat,unlikemanyoftheotherarticlesIveseen,ittalksabout gamificationspecifically,andnotjustgamebasedlearning.Iselecteditformyresearch becauseitaddedtothebreadthofinformationbyintroducinganotherrelatedtopictogame basedlearning.

Hoge,B.,&Hughes,F.(2010).ThePedagogybehindtheNewCenturyEnergyGame:The PotentialforTransformativePBL.JournalOfTechnologyIntegrationInTheClassroom, 2(3),1122. Dr.BradHogeisanAssistantProfessorattheUniversityofHouston.FrankHughesis thevicepresidentofeducationandtrainingproductsatTietronixandpreviouslyworkedforNASA asthechiefofspaceflighttraining.Thisarticlediscussesagamethatwasdevelopedforand usedbytheHoustonIndependentSchoolDistrict.Itdescribesaspectsofthegameandties themtoconstructivistconceptssuchasprojectbasedlearning.Iaminterestedintheareaof projectbasedlearningandhowitrelatestoconceptssuchasgamebasedlearningand gamification,whichiswhyIselectedthisarticle.UnlikeotherarticlesIveread,itspendsalot moretimediscussingthegameitselfanditsadoptionbyaschooldistrict.Itissimilartothe articlebyYamSanandTaninthatitincludesacasestudyandsomeeducationaltheory.

Whitton,N.(2012).Theplaceofgamebasedlearninginanageofausterity.ElectronicJournal OfELearning,10(2),249256. NicholaWhittonisaresearchfellowattheEducationandSocialResearchInstituteat ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity.Hermainfocusisontheuseofgamesinhighereducation. sheisalsothecodirectorfortheCentreforResearchinTechnology,InnovationandPlayfor Learning.Thisarticlediscussesthebenefitsofdigitalgamesintheclassroomandcompares traditionaleducationalgameswithcommercialgames.Itthenproceedstoexpressconcernover economicpressuresoneducationandpresentsalternative,lessexpensivewaystoadoptthe theoryandpracticebehindcomputergames.OnekeypointthatIaminterestedinandagree withisthatoneoptionistogivethelearnerstheabilitytocreatetheirowngamesinsteadof playingthemasawaytoenhancelearning.Ilikethatthispaperdiscussesthetheorybehind gamebasedlearninginthecontextofeconomicfactors,whichistotallydifferentfromother articlesthatIvereadonthesubject.Ichoseitformyresearchbecauseofthisunique perspective.