Educational videogames are a very effective tool in the learning process, especially for the current generation, known as the digital natives generation. Many studies have shown their benefits in different fields, using computers and mobile devices, among others. Nevertheless, we have not found in the literature any comparative research between these two platforms. Is one of the platforms more effective than the other to improve the learning process with videogames? In this paper we present the research results by using "The courtesy of Spain", a videogame created to teach its namesake classical theater play's plot by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega. The videogame was designed to be played in a same way on computers and mobile devices. A quasi-experiment was carried out with control group and experimental group. 141 students between 9 and 11 years old from a school in the Autonomous Community of Madrid (Spain), with no previous knowledge of the play participated in the experiment. The experimental group played on a tablet, while the control group played on a computer. The researchers' first impressions were that the best results would be on tablets due to their ease of use and their great reception among young people. However, the results show statistically significant differences in favor of the computer. They reveal that: 1) the device on which an educational videogame is played is important for its effectiveness and 2) perhaps, in the field of educational videogames, the urgency of replacing the devices that is patent in the industry is not backed up by a greater effectiveness of them.
Serious games have proven several advantages when used in education improving students learning. However, games are still complex to deploy in the class for average teachers. Many teachers still do not see games as a powerful tool to improve their teaching work. To this end, it is essential to humanize the game technology making the use of games more transparent to teachers in a way that they get the benefits and avoid most of the game deployment complexity. We consider that Game Learning Analytics is one of the keys to help teachers in the application of serious games in the classrooms. Game Learning Analytics allows to capture data from students' interactions with games and derive information that simplify teachers' tasks. Doing it in a transparent way within the game environment (i.e. stealth assessment) can provide evidence-based data about the learners' knowledge at each point of time. Combining both game learning analytics in near real-time and offline, and stealth assessment for games, it could be possible to leverage their use in classroom settings at real-time making their use easier for teachers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.