Examining Play in a Serious Educational STEM Game

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Research on Games Poster Session

Abstract

Game Based Learning (GBL) has improved learning outcomes for diverse students. However, games have not been analyzed for the attributes of play within them that lead to learning.This study informs a larger GBL project that designed and tested a Serious Educational Game (SEG) to teach human body systems to elementary learners. In this qualitative case study, we created an analytical framework based on specific attributes of play that guided development of interview protocol administered to students (n=14) during the study. Semistructured interviews were inductively and deductively coded to reveal themes about play connecting to GBL. We found our SEG contained some attributes of play, and more broadly defined which of these attributes could characterize games for learning environments.

Authors

• Kayla Pritchard, University of Georgia - Athens

• Georgia Wood Hodges, University of Georgia