Teacher-Student Interaction and the Educational Gaming Context

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Learning Environments With Elementary-Age Classrooms

Abstract

Teacher mediation is a key factor in the successful implementation of educational games, but little previous research has examined teacher-student interaction during game-play. This qualitative study used discourse analysis methods to examine classroom interaction during game-play in four third-grade classrooms. Results revealed a gaming context overwhelmingly focused on the procedural aspects of game-play, rather than on the learning objectives of the game. This “procedural pull” of the gaming context was pervasive and appeared to result from a combination of factors, including teachers’ instructional approaches and the nature of educational games. The results of this study inform pedagogical practices in support of educational games and serve as a first step toward understanding teacher-student interaction in educational-gaming contexts.

Authors

• Kristen J Shanahan, Edinboro University

• Tonya R. Moon, University of Virginia

• Catherine M. Brighton, University of Virginia

• Christine Patricia Trinter, Virginia Commonwealth University