For several years, I have done both theoretical and research studies exploring the benefits of video games for education, more specifically in language learning and literacy development. As a result of this work, I have published two academic articles in Brazilian journals, as well as two book chapters in volumes centered on language teaching and learning and technology integration. In my doctoral studies, I continue to address this relationship between games and learning, focusing on the creation of games as a pedagogical strategy that can foster the growth of students' linguistic repertoires. Furthermore, another area of research that has emerged from my experience as a teaching assistant is experiential learning, especially as it relates to the benefits of reflexive gameplay for the development of educational interventions using games as learning tools.
K-12 Education
Project-based language learning experiences have been increasingly reported in educational literature (Farouck, 2016; Gibbes & Carson, 2014; Soler Pardo, 2014). This methodology, in which the end goal of the learning process is the development of a product that reflects such learning, has been reported to increase learner autonomy and collaboration (Farouck, 2016). In addition, students experience opportunities to use creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills by reflecting on their projects, resolving issues, and deciding on realistic and effective courses of action (Gibbes & Carson, 2014). This methodology also favors autonomous and personalized learning; that is, students learn vocabulary and grammar structures when needed during project development and presentation (Farouck, 2016). Thus, learning a language in a project-based language environment, as in participatory culture, arises from real communicative needs (Gibbes & Carson, 2014). Moreover, learners have the possibility to acquire technological skills during the creation of various types of multimedia products, such as videos and digital narratives (Hafner & Miller, 2011; Soler Pardo, 2014), which may lead to the exposition to a wide array of types of discourse.
Within this scope, project-based language learning environments aiming at the development of video games appear as a possible area for study that has yet to be explored. However, there is evidence that educational approaches focused on game design can lead to increased motivation and enjoyment (An, 2016; Owston et al., 2009), which can have a positive impact on language learning. The emergence of game design software that do not require coding skills, such as RPG Maker and TyranoBuilder, facilitates the creation of language learning environments focused on game development, and allows users to create interactive narratives with relative ease.
That said, in my dissertation study, I would like to research possibilities of language learning through project-based, game development experiences for middle-graders. My main assumption, presently, is that the possibility of utilizing various types of literacy that are not limited to written words will allow these students to actively produce content in different text genres, thus using and developing a varied linguistic repertoire in meaningful ways. Furthermore, by making games, learners would be able to share their stories, real or fictional, with audiences beyond their classroom.
That said, my research questions are as follows:
(i) Do game creation processes in instructional environments facilitate the acquisition of narrative discourses in a foreign language? If so, how?
(ii) Do game creation processes in instructional environments increase learners' motivation for acquiring new discourses other than the narrative ones? If so, how?
Related theories:
Project-based learning; Experiential learning; Semiotic domains; New Literacies; Social Linguistics; Participatory Cultures
Teacher Education
As a teaching assistant in the "Games and Learning" (EDIT8400E) course at the University of Georgia, I have been able to witness how educators can develop their knowledge about games in education through experiential learning. As they play different games every other week, the course participants are able to reflect on their theoretical knowledge during gameplay, identifiyng possibilities and challenges to use games in their own educational contexts.
Taking these reflections into consideration, my research objectives related to teacher education are twofold:
(i) Identify what are the common challenges, emotions, and possibilities for use of games in the classroom from the perspective of the course participants;
(ii) Identify ways that the experiential learning aspect of the course could be improved.
Related theories:
Game-based learning; Experiential learning; Reflective practice
Relevant Bibliography
Akcaoglu, M. (2014). Learning problem-solving through making games at the game design and learning summer program. Educational Technology Research and Development, 62(5), 583–600. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-014-9347-4
Alvermann, D. E. (2008). Why bother theorizing adolescents' online literacies for classroom practice and research?. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(1), 8-19.
Black, R. W. (2009). Online fan fiction and critical media literacy. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 26(2), 75–80.
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York, N.Y.: Palgrave MacMillan.
Gee, J. P. (2011). Stories, probes, and games. Narrative Inquiry, 21(2), 353–357. http://doi.org/10.1075/ni.21.2.14
Hannafin, M., & Land, S. M. (1997). The foundations and assumptions of technology-enhanced student-centered learning environments. Instructional Science, 25(May), 167–202. http://doi.org/10.1023/A
Jenkins, H., Purushotma, R., Weigel, M., Clinton, K., & Robison, A. J. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Mit Press.
Jonassen, D. H. (2000). Toward a design theory of problem solving. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(4), 63–85. http://doi.org/10.1007/BF02300500
Lee, E., & Hannafin, M. J. (2016). A design framework for enhancing engagement in student-centered learning: own it, learn it, and share it. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(4), 707–734. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-015-9422-5
Majgaard, G. (2014). The playful and reflective game designer. Electronic Journal of E-Learning, 12(3), 271-280.
Marone, V. (2016). Playful constructivism: making sense of digital games for learning and creativity through play, design, and participation. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 9(3). Retrieved from http://jvwresearch.org
Owston, R., Wideman, H., Ronda, N. S., & Brown, C. (2009). Computer game development as a literacy activity. Computers & Education, 53(3), 977–989. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.05.015
Runco, M. A. (2008). Creativity and education. New Horizons in Education, 56(1), 107–115. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6209-052-1
Steinkuehler, C., & King, E. (2009). Digital literacies for the disengaged: creating after school contexts to support boys’ game‐based literacy skills. On the Horizon, 17(1), 47–59. http://doi.org/10.1108/10748120910936144
Steinkuehler, C., & Squire, K. (2009). Virtual worlds and learning. On the Horizon, 17(1), 8–11. http://doi.org/10.1108/10748120910936108
Warschauer, M., & Liaw, M.-L. (2011). Emerging technologies for autonomous language learning. Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal, 2(3), 107–118. Retrieved from http://sisaljournal.org