Selection Criteria for Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Video Games for Language Learning

Abstract

This article addresses criteria for choosing commercial off-the-shelf(COTS) games and their implementation in the classroom and other L2learning environments. The proposal and discussion of a set of suchcriteria, which include the categories of motivation and flow, clearlydefined and spaced goals, game skills and game mechanics, content,story and narrative, multimodality, agency, course integration andscaffolding, and financial, technical, and administrative considerationsare the focus of this article. This discussion is followed by the analysesof three examples of COTS games (Buzz, Heavy Rain, and SingStar)which may be suitable in a L2 learning context.

Digital Game-based Learning (DGBL) in the L2 Classroom: The Impact of the UN’s Off-the-Shelf Videogame, Food Force, on Learner Affect and Vocabulary Retention

“…gaming and digital games developed specifically for language learning will likely be an important research area in coming years (Kronenberg, 2012;Neville, 2010;Sykes & Reinhardt, 2013). It is clear that DGBLL has potential to bring about promising outcomes and new learning experiences for learners.…”

Game-construction students experiences of educational games - gaming outcomes and learning outcomes

“…The phenomenon has sometimes been blamed on academicians who, in their game development process, have had little or no understanding of the art, science, and culture of game design (Van Eck, 2007). Despite the fact that much has happened in the design of educational and serious games since 1998 (Wechselberger, 2008), the term is still around in GBL discussions (Kronenberg, 2016;Wiemeyer & Tremper, 2017).…”

21st Century Virtual Language Learning Environments (VLLEs)

“…In this process, L2 learning can happen incidentally, as a consequence of gaming while attending to the different collaborative tasks necessary for winning (referred to as co‐questing ) with L2 native speakers. The primacy of playing over learning can be a considerable source of motivation for the L2 user‐learner and guarantee the sort of genuine engagement that is known to be particularly beneficial for L2 learning (Kronenberg Section 1). However, it can also constitute a real source of impediment since playing goals are not designed to be congruent with L2 learning goals (winning does not equal learning), and the predominance of a storyline makes it virtually impossible to overlay L2 learning objectives onto video‐game interactions (Cornillie, Thorne, and Desmet 250).…”

“…This point is of particular significance for L2 learning since, although rich, meaningful, and purposeful interactions are unquestionably afforded by commercial video games, the inherent limitations in the type of L2 vocabulary accessed and produced in‐world considerably outweigh the benefits of reported linguistic complexity. Finally, the fantasy nature of commercial video games also constitutes a drawback in the possibility offered to the L2 user‐learner to access or produce elements from the target culture, since video games only rarely “involve a focus on national cultures” (Kronenberg Section 3; see also Levy and O'Brien ).…”

“…Moreover, considering the overarching importance of playing goals in video games, the implementation of pedagogically‐driven L2 learning tasks, goals, and assessment is rendered almost impossible, and with it, any monitoring of the L2 learning process (Liou ). Finally, it can reasonably be argued that video games still suffer from a lack of credibility in the general population and that, although supported by research (Kronenberg ), their integration in the L2 curriculum might raise considerably more opposition than agreement among educators, parents, and students alike, not yet convinced that they can be appropriate, relevant, and beneficial tools for L2 learning (Chik ).…”