Video Games in the Secondary English Language Arts Classroom: A State‐of‐the‐Art Review of the Literature

Abstract

English language arts (ELA) teachers and literacy researchers are increasingly attending to the ways that digital technologies may be integrated into the curriculum. Video games, which now feature extensive narrative structures, interactive play systems, and complex multimodal semiotics, offer one avenue through which ELA teachers can expand upon the texts and literacy practices included in language arts curricula. However, professional resources and research on the use of video games in literacy classrooms remain scarce. To understand how educators have begun to integrate games into ELA curriculum and instruction, the authors conducted a state‐of‐the‐art review of the emerging literature on video games in secondary ELA classrooms. Through an inductive search and coding process, 21 studies were identified and analyzed. Two major findings emerged regarding both the specific instructional practices that instructors in the studies employed and the overall effects on students' learning described in the studies. First, the studies highlighted examples of video game instruction through the use of game analysis, game design and production, text production, and inquiry/research. Second, studies emphasized students’ expanded conceptions of literacies, development of literacy practices, growth of critical and analytical thinking skills, enhanced engagement, and increased opportunities for peer collaboration and mentoring. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for literacy instruction and research.

Literacy Educators’ Attitudes on Video Games and Learning

“…Teachers' views of games as supporting motivation, engagement, and out-of-school literacy and learning align with existing research on gaming (Gee, 2007;Stufft & von Gillern, 2021). Thus, the results presented here show that, despite the lack of easily accessible professional knowledge and resources related to the inclusion of video games in literacy curricula (Nash, 2022), teachers have been able to develop accurate conceptions regarding their potential as learning resources (Pelletier, 2009). The disconnect reported here between teachers' generally positive views of the potential learning applications of gaming and the hesitation related to games in classrooms suggests the need for the development of teacher education regarding gaming in classroom contexts and further research related to the kinds of games-based learning teachers may be considering as they consider their potential for classroom use.…”

“…Existing research has highlighted that not only are video games not explicitly supported in school-based literacy curricula, they are often actively discouraged through myriad technological, logistical, and ideological challenges unique to school settings (Nash, 2022). Thus, the kinds of conceptualization and understanding required to be comfortable considering games for in-class use may be harder to develop in relation to games than other digital and multimodal literacies.…”

“…Research on the use of video games in classroom settings has highlighted a multitude of curricular implementations in literacy instruction, including game analysis (Bacalja, 2018), multimodal composition (McClay et al, 2007, and collaborative problem solving and design work (Gerber et al, 2014). These diverse forms of curricular implementation have been shown to have positive impacts on student learning (Nash, 2022). Across settings, researchers have reported increases in student engagement (Gerber et al, 2014), shifts in students' academic identities (Marlatt, 2018), complex analytical thinking (Beavis et al, 2015), and students engaged in multimodal design thinking and composition (Nash 2021a;Stufft & von Gillern, 2021).…”

Videogames in and beyond the L1 classroom

“…Although videogames and literacies has been a topic of research for over 20 years (Abrams, 2015b;Beavis, 1998;Beavis & Charles, 2005;Bailey, 2016;Burnett & Merchant, 2014;deHaan, 2019;Engerman et al, 2019;Gee, 2003;Gerber & Abrams, 2014;Hanghøj et al, 2020;Hawisher & Selfe, 2007;Nash & Brady, 2021;Rosas et al, 2003;Schaffer et al, 2005;Squire, 2011;Steinkuehler et al, 2010;Steinkuehler et al, 2012;Van Eck, 2008;Wolf & Perron, 2003), we see this special issue (re)initiating the particular discussion of gaming and L1 literacies. With authors from across the globe-Australia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, and the United States-this collection includes research from various contexts and metacontexts, highlighting the idiosyncratic nature of gaming and literacies in particular spaces while revealing a universality of key features of gaming that can serve as fodder for educators and education researchers to literally and figuratively level up their research and teaching practices.…”

Applying game-based learning to a primary school class in computer science terminology learning

“…For example, in the game "School Adventures. Space Games of Literates" (2007) elementary school students are invited to take part in virtual space battles, while performing a series of educational tasks in mathematics and linguistics for a limited period of time (Nash and Brady, 2022). The success of their implementation is not only promptly evaluated and rewarded, but also determines the achievement of the final result -the receipt of a new spaceship (in the presence of a large number of errors, the player eventually sees an old destroyed spaceship).…”