Basing educational game design on well-established learning and instructional theories is argued to reduce the risk of games failing their educational goals¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r? · q1
Currency · newest study 2008 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q1 i? The authors argue that failing to base educational game design on well-established learning and instructional theories increases the risk of the game failing to meet its educational goals and yielding entertained students without academic skills or knowledge. → Gunter 2008

Evidence¶

Gunter 2008¶

Gunter, G.A., Kenny, R.F. & Vick, E.H. (2008). Taking educational games seriously: using the RETAIN model to design endogenous fantasy into standalone educational games. Education Tech Research Dev, 56, 511–537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-007-9073-2

q1 · i? · theoretical · r?

This is the authors' theoretical argument stated in the abstract, not a tested result; the article offers no empirical data for it in the available text. It frames the need for theory-based design of educational games.

"A failure to base educational game design on well-established learning and instructional theories increases the risk of the game failing to meet its intended educational goals, and yielding students who are entertained but who have not acquired any academic skills or knowledge."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The authors' review of standalone educational games found they are not always based on sound educational principles and theories — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Entertainment value of simulation games did not moderate learning relative to comparison instruction — reports the opposite
• Current serious games give all learners the same unregulated scaffolding, which the authors argue contradicts the notion of scaffolding — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Cognitive Load Theory lacks a motivational focus, which becomes problematic when interpreting interventions that foster effortful learning strategies — related
• mGBL makes more sense for teaching lower-level enabling content than complex performances that mix multiple learning domains — related