Gaming as a learning tool

In recent years, as the changing demands of the learners, information and communication technology has been integrated into educational practices. This implementation journey is started from electronic learning (e-Learning), then changed to mobile learning (m-Learning), and finally to ubiquitous learning (u-Learning). (Suartama, 2021)

Urgency, complexity, learning by trial-and-error, and scoring points make the games an effective learning environment. Games can also be evaluated as an active and experiential learning with immediate feedback. (Oblinger, 2004). Interactivity and engagement, the other points that the games support, help the learners to learn deeply.

Motivation of the students is also augmented by the games implemented in the learning activities. Motivation is triggered with challenge, recognition, competition, control and fantasy (Furio D et all, 2015).

Furio D.et all did an experimental study to compare the mobile learning to traditional classroom learning. In this work, they aimed to increase the knowledge of the students about the water cycle (content: water cycle, water composition, water pollution shown in Fig1.) with a game developed for this purpose. The game consists of seven mini games some using AR technology. A group of students aged 8-10 studying at a school in Spain joined in this experimental work.

Fig1. Flowchart of the game. (Furio D. et all., 2015)

Thirty-eight students were chosen randomly and divided into two groups: Group A. the group played the iPhone game first and then took traditional classroom lesson. Group B. the group took the traditional classroom lesson first and then played the iPhone game.

The children were asked to answer a questionnaire before and after the lesson (gaming and classroom lesson).

Fig2. The knowledge level of the learners (Furio D. et all., 2015)

The scores for the knowledge questions in the pre-test and the post-test of the traditional classroom lesson and the iPhone method were shown in Fig2.

g. 3. Satisfaction score values for the two methods (Furio D. et all., 2015)

The scores for the satisfaction questions in the traditional classroom lesson and the iPhone method were analysed in Fig3.

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Fig4. a) Preferences of the groups, b) preferences of the technologies