Engaging Preservice Teachers in the Design and Development of Digital Breakout Games in an Educational Technology Course

• In Event: Promoting Teaching and Learning in Game-Based and Virtual Reality Learning Spaces

Abstract

Although educators have recently begun using digital breakout games as pedagogical strategies in the curriculum, research has thus far reported outcomes associated with playing these games rather than creating them. This study investigates what happens when 23 preservice teachers in a technology integration course design content-focused digital breakout games for the secondary curriculum. By conducting a qualitative analysis of participants’ games and their game design experiences, we found that they developed TPACK, engaged in 21st-century skill-building, persevered through obstacles to experience rewards, and plan to integrate high-level technologies in their future curricula. We provide implications for these findings as well as recommendations for further research.

Author

• Lauren Weisberg, University of Florida