Mobile Game-Based Learning in STEM Subjects

Abstract

The acronym STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics has entered the agenda of educational policies. The development of mobile game-based learning has been seen as a new line of research and technological development in the field of educational technology, STEM education and game design. These fields are rather new and intrinsically multidisciplinary, making it even more exciting. There is a growing interest in Mobile Game related research, whether strictly technological or applied in social contexts. In this chapter, we thought a nice way to connect this data and depict the current scenario would be to break the subject into pieces: Game Design; Affection and Play; Mobile Learning; Games for Learning; Science and Mathematics Education; and lastly, summarizing it in the Games for STEM Education section. Our conclusions point to the fact that we are taking the first steps in a digital game development process for teaching mathematics in the school environment and the acceptance of Smartphones as tools that add value to education.

Beyond Play: Conceptualising the Capability of a Good Digital Game to Stimulate Interest in STEM

“…It is impossible to neglect to include content in digital games. All studies on educational digital game design emphasise the need for learning content for all ranges of user including children (Balli, 2018;Herodotou, 2018;Kiili & Ketamo, 2017;Lowrie, 2015; van den Heuvelhttp://ijlter.org/index.php/ijlter Panhuizen et al, 2013), teenagers (Lester et al, 2014;Marcelo Leandro et al, 2018;Mohd Jamel et al, 2019;Pedersen et al, 2016;Raffety et al, 2016), adults (Brown et al, 2018;Buijs-Spanjers et al, 2020;Gaspar et al, 2020;Kuk et al, 2012;Ross et al, 2014;Vecchia et al, 2015), and the elderly (Cota et al, 2015). In the STEM digital game context, we define STEM learning content as the scientific topic, themes, beliefs, concepts, and facts related to STEM that are often grouped within each subject or learning as part of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that are expected to be learned in the digital game.…”

“…However, this strategy might require a certain cost and only some of the selected students will be able to participate in this program. To make the realworld STEM experience more inclusive and assessable, digital games should be capable of supporting this strategy (Marcelo Leandro et al, 2018;Wu & Anderson, 2015).…”

“…Studies on digital games prove that using digital games empirically improves the individual STEM learning outcome. However, the idea of digital games being the best way to promote and increase STEM interest can only be found as a statement (Fisher, 2015;Krapp, 1999;Marcelo Leandro et al, 2018;Wan Nor Fadzilah et al, 2017), research implication or future perspective (Ball et al, 2018;Desmond & Michael, 2016;Halim et al, 2018;Raffety et al, 2016), without any empirical evidence.…”

Integration of Mobile Learning into Complex Problem-Solving Processes during STEM Education

“…Educational games can be used to teach interdisciplinary concepts in many complex scientific issues in a more engaging way than traditional methods. Besides, simulations and serious games allow students to recreate difficult situations to try new answers or pose creative solutions [20]. In order to outline the potential of mobile gaming in STEM education, scholars provide a systematic review of the research context, methodologies, measures, tools, and mobile game features [37].…”

“…In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to STEM education. The acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has entered the agenda of educational policies, thereby provoking the identification of the most notable and emerging issues, trends, and challenges in STEM education for the coming years [20]. The focus of STEM is driving ICT in the economy based on knowledge through innovation and productivity, as well as preparing individuals to function in a science and technology-rich society [21].…”