ENED-GEM: A Conceptual Framework Model for Psychological Enjoyment Factors and Learning Mechanisms in Educational Games about the Environment

Abstract

Based on a thorough review of psychological literature, this article seeks to develop a model of game enjoyment and environmental learning (ENvironmental EDucational Game Enjoyment Model, ENED-GEM) and delineate psychological processes that might facilitate learning and inspire behavioral change from educational games about the environment. A critically acclaimed digital educational game about environmental issues (Fate of the World by Red Redemption/Soothsayer Games) was used as a case study. Two hundred forty-nine reviews of the game from the popular gaming and reviewing platform known as Steam were analyzed by means of a thematic content analysis in order to identify key player enjoyment factors believed to be relevant to the process of learning from games, as well as to gain an understanding of positive and negative impressions about the game’s general content. The end results of the thematic analysis were measured up to the suggested ENED-GEM framework. Initial results generally support the main elements of the ENED-GEM, and future research into the importance of these individual core factors is outlined.

Gaming Green: The Educational Potential of Eco – A Digital Simulated Ecosystem

“…On the positive side, one study revealed a significant correlation between experiencing a high degree of game enjoyment while playing a game about local biodiversity (BioDiv2Go) and a subsequent increase in attitude toward nature (Schaal et al, 2018). Enjoying environmental gameplay is theorized to have a significant effect on the subsequent learning outcomes from playing (Fjaellingsdal and Klöckner, 2017), thus lending support to the study's findings. Another study revealed that individuals who played Red Redemption's Fate of the World, a simulation revolving around a 200-year period of societal and environmental impacts (Klöckner, 2015, p. 198), showed a higher degree of environmental systems thinking than a control group (Waddington and Fennewald, 2018).…”

“…Educational games must be perceived as enjoyable or immersive by the player in order to be voluntarily used (Sweetser and Wyeth, 2005;Ferguson and Olson, 2013;Fjaellingsdal and Klöckner, 2017;Hamari and Keronen, 2017) or, despite undermining intrinsic motivation to play and learn, offer some form of externalized reward such as money or extra course credit (Deci, 1996, p. 25). Immersion, otherwise known as presence, is the feeling of being spatially present in a media experience (Klimmt et al, 2009).…”

“…The core idea behind a serious game is its ability to teach something to its players (Wouters et al, 2013;Fjaellingsdal and Klöckner, 2017) through providing the players with new knowledge, raising awareness for something or presenting research findings in a novel way (Eisenack and Reckien, 2013). The main theme detailing our respondents' learning outcomes contains three subthemes: (1) Contextualizing knowledge, (2) Cooperation is key, and (3) Actions have consequences.…”

Video Games as Teaching and Learning Tool For Environmental and Space Design

“…To demonstrate this, they used the design of the game with a group of subjects attended from Computer Sciences and History. So, for the first time, perhaps for the first time, the interdisciplinary teams collaborated in designing a video game (Fjaellingsdal & Klöckner, 2017).…”

Serious Games in Online Learning

“…Psychological enjoyment factors and learning mechanism relationships have been explored in environmental games using a novel environmental educational game enjoyment model (Fjaellingsdal and Klockner, 2017). The study observed students playing the game Fate of the World, a digital card-based global strategy game released in 2011.…”