eLuna: A Co-Design Framework for Narrative Digital Game-Based Learning that Support STEAM

STEAM education enables the cross-curricular study of subjects based on their naturally occurring relationships through holistic and integrated methods. Narratives are enablers of STEAM learning environments, something that is evident in the exploration of narrative learning from pre-recorded history until present. Narrative Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) use narratives to drive the game. The extended Ludo Narrative Variable Model (the Variable Model) is a narratological model for categorization of narrative DGBL. Empirical evidence from categorizing narrative DGBL on the Variable Model shows that there is a particular set of categories that incur positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning. This article introduces the eLuna co-design framework that builds on these categories and empowers educators to participate alongside game developers in multidisciplinary design and development of narrative DGBL. eLuna comprises 1) a four-phase co-design method, and 2) a visual language to support the co-design and co-specification of the game to a blueprint that can be implement by game developers. Idun’s Apples, a narrative DGBL co-designed, co-specified, and implemented into a prototype using eLuna, is presented to illustrate the use of the method and visual language. Arguing that narrative DGBL are vessels for STEAM learning, seven eLuna co-designed games are examined to illustrate that they support STEAM. The article concludes that narrative DGBL co-designed using the eLuna framework provide high opportunity and potential for supporting STEAM, providing educators and game developers with a STEAM co-design framework that enforces positive effects on engagement, motivation, and learning.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Video Game Consumption in Turkey

Different precautions such as quarantine, social distance, and hygiene applications have been taken around the world to prevent the spreading of the virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. While these precautions brought many sectors to a halt, digital-based platforms have been used more actively. The pandemic changed daily work, leisure, education, and the time spent with families and how people distribute their time on these items. The interest toward digital games increased as the result of COVID-19 quarantine. As people spent more time at home, they tended to play games to socialize. This study aims to evaluate the changes and tendencies in the consumption of video games during the pandemic period in Turkey. Accordingly, the consumption of online video games in 2020 was analyzed through comparing with 2019. As a result, it was detected that more time and money was spent during the pandemic period on the digital game sector which was also important before.

Spanish Teacher Attitudes Towards Digital Game-Based Learning

The consideration that the only goal of games is the achievement of entertainment is still commonly accepted, although there is now an outgrowing perspective that believes in the use of games to promote learning. This exploratory quantitative research examines both in-service and pre-service Spanish teacher perceptions (n = 112) about using digital games in their lessons, paying a special attention to the TPACK model, and comparing the results regarding age, gender, and professional situation. Responses show a positive attitude towards the potential use of video games in their lessons, although there are differences considering the results of the items concerning technological, pedagogical, or content knowledge. The data presented in this study is relevant to guide the design of curriculum and training programs, as well as to develop strategies to support and scaffold pre-service and in-service teachers' knowledge and practical implementation of digital game-based learning (DGBL).

A Digital Game for Undergraduate Calculus

This study has two goals: first, to investigate the effectiveness of using a digital game to teach undergraduate-level calculus in improving task immersion, sense of control, calculation skills, and conceptual understanding, and second, to investigate how feedback and visual manipulation can facilitate conceptual understanding of calculus materials. One hundred thirty-two undergraduate students participated in a controlled lab experiment and were randomly assigned to either a game-playing condition, a practice quiz condition, or a no-treatment control condition. The authors collected survey data and behavioral-tracking data recorded by the server during gameplay. The results showed that students who played the digital game reported highest task immersion but not in sense of control. Students in the game condition also performed significantly better in conceptual understanding compared to students who solved a practice quiz and the control group. Gameplay behavioral-tracking data was used to examine the effects of visual manipulation and feedback on conceptual understanding.

Digital Game-Based Learning and Computational Thinking in P-12 Education

The objective of this chapter is to explore the evolution and opportunities of the emerging field of digital games for programming learning, the challenges and tensions that they present, and how educators may be able to collectively advance this work to benefit student learning. This work summarizes previous empirical evidence concerning the positive impacts and outcomes of digital games in computing education, or even impacts that do not let games to spread. Hence, a systematic literature review is carried out in this context to provide a comprehensive overview of works carried out towards incorporating digital games in order to acquire CT skills or learn basic programming concepts within P12 education. The chapter discusses on the range of indicators and measures used in the 44 selected studies, together with methodological limitations and recommendations for further work in this area.

How Gaming and Formative Assessment Contribute to Learning Supplementary and Complementary Angles

This chapter presents an empirical research where the authors developed tasks based on a digital game supported by assessment strategies. The study is interpretative in nature, in a case study design. The authors designed tasks with technology and assessment strategies in a collaborative work context implemented in a mathematics classroom with 5th grade students (students 10 years old). The results evidence that the use of a digital game and formative assessment have contributed to the learning of complementary and supplementary angle pairs, giving meaning to their utilization as an effective strategy.