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20230718T131520230718T1615Europe/Amsterdam[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom IntegrationHybrid Session (onsite/online)AILA 2023 - 20th Anniversary Congress Lyon Editioncellule.congres@ens-lyon.fr
A design-informed approach to researching gameful L2 teaching and learning
Oral Presentation[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom Integration01:15 PM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/18 11:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/18 14:15:00 UTC
Language teaching professionals may not have adequate knowledge about how games are designed, in particular, how game mechanics, titles, and genres differ and relate to one another (Hunicke, Leblanc, and Zubec 2004), in order to understand critically various assertions about the affordances of games for L2 learning. Playing a game title from a particular genre (e.g. MMORPG) may lead to very different learning outcomes than playing a different title from the same genre, not only because of playing context and player variables, but also because of the game design. In response, in this talk I argue for a design-informed, ecologically sensitive approach to the analysis of L2 learning in gameful contexts.
From an ecological perspective (van Lier 2004), affordances for gameful L2 learning (Reinhardt 2019) are contingent on a number of variables aligning that relate to player behavior, the context of play, and the design of the game. While a game title usually shares some common mechanics with other titles in its genre -- for example, engaging in dialogues, doing multiplayer quests, building, or collecting resources -- it is designed as a unique combination of mechanics, and each time it is played, different mechanics interact with player action to result in different dynamics, which may include engagement, social interaction, language use, and language learning. Therefore, generalizing the implications from the study of L2 gameplay using one title to other titles, even if they are in the same genre, may be risky. A better approach is to focus on the features of the game that can be directly associated with player behaviors, that is, the mechanics themselves (Dixon, 2021; Reinhardt, 2021).
The purpose of this talk is to clarify understandings and advocate for a design-informed, ecologically sensitive approach to the analysis of L2 learning in gameful contexts. This approach not only considers the ecological context and player actions in gameplay, but also the designed elements within games that can be associated with L2 learning as directly as possible. First, I will detail the issue at hand, that associating learning outcomes with genres or titles rather than specific mechanics is based on a faulty understanding of game design. I will argue that to avoid this misstep, research should take a design-informed approach in complement to description and evaluation of the player experience. Referring to past and recent research that takes this approach, I will then describe it in detail, focusing on its main advantage, that it allows for the alignment of design features and the L2 learning affordances and can be sensitive to gameplay ecology.
Dixon, D. (2021). The Linguistic Environments of Digital Games: A Discriminant Analysis of Language Use in Game Mechanics. CALICO Journal. DOI: 10.1558/cj. 20860Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M. and Zubek, R. (2004). "MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research", Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI (Vol. 4, No. 1)Reinhardt, J. (2019). Gameful Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan. Reinhardt, J. (2021). "Not all MMOGs are created equal: A design-informed approach to the study of L2 learning in multiplayer online games". In Peterson, M., Yamazaki, K., & Thomas, M. (eds.), The State of Play: Digital Games and Language Learning: Theory, Development, & Implementation, 69-88. London: Bloomsbury.van Lier, L. (2004). The Ecology and Semiotics of Language Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective. Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Designing a plurilingual escape game on languages comparison in primary schools
Oral Presentation[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom Integration01:15 PM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/18 11:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/18 14:15:00 UTC
Children in the West are less and less likely to live in monolingual and monocultural environments. For the past forty years or so, language educators have been highlighting the value of an approach to languages based on comparative observation of how they function (Hawkins, 1984; Candelier, 2003). The challenge of a comparative approach to languages is to improve language skills, in particular through the development of metalinguistic skills, which are essential both for access to writing in the language of schooling and for learning foreign languages, etc. (Kervran, 2008; De Pietro 2004). Nevertheless, this approach is not commonly translated into practice. We decided to opt for the serious game to work on this skill. The use of games for pedagogical purposes has proven advantages, particularly in terms of motivation (Silva, 2008; Brougère, 2002; Chou 2015). Among the many types of existing games, the educational escape game has many advantages such as cooperation which allows the acquisition of social skills and the development of a collective intelligence necessary to solve the puzzles. In this proposal, we will present the ObRéCo project started in September 2022. This project is attached to a pilot centre for teacher training and research in education. The main objective of the project is to develop pedagogical and didactic resources based on games and digital technology, using the declared pedagogical practices of primary school teachers, so that practices favourable to the reflective and comparative observation of languages at school can be developed in these teaching contexts. We will first look at the different roles played by different languages in primary school and analyse their relationships by presenting the results of a questionnaire survey carried out among 234 teachers in the Académie de Grenoble. Secondly, we will present the technical and pedagogical choices that guided the development of the material co-constructed by the project's field actors and teacher-researchers and its implementation in an escape game. Finally, we will present the experimental protocol consisting of a pre-test/ treatment/ post-test of metalinguistic skills, with an experimental group and an active control group. Brougère, G. (2012). Le jeu peut-il être sérieux ? Revisiter Jouer/Apprendre en temps de serious game. Australian Journal of French Studies, 49(2), 117-130. Candelier, M. (2003). L'éveil aux langues à l'école primaire : Evlang : bilan d'une innovation européenne. Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgique : De Boeck Supérieur. Chou, Y-K (2015). Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges and Leaderboards. Octalysis Media. De Pietro, J.-F. (2003). La diversité au fondement des activités réflexives. Repères. Recherches en didactique du français langue maternelle, 28(1), 161–185. Hawkins, E. (1992). La réflexion sur le langage comme « matière-pont » dans le programme scolaire. Repères. Recherches en didactique du français langue maternelle, 6(1), 41–56. Kervran, M. (2008). Apprentissage de l'anglais et éveil aux langues à l'école primaire : développement et transfert de compétences dans le cadre d'une didactique intégrée. Thèse de doctorat. Université du Maine : Le Mans. Silva, H. (2008). Le jeu en classe de langue. Paris: CLE International.
Classroom integration of Game-based L2 English learning in Norwegian secondary school
Oral Presentation[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom Integration01:15 PM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/18 11:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/18 14:15:00 UTC
Digital technologies are considered a crucial aspect of educational policy around the world (Erstad et al., 2021). In Norway, the common core curriculum has for the first time emphasised language identity developed outside school as a resource in school, and one aspect of teenagers' language identity developed outside school, is through the use of advanced technologies, such as online gaming (Brevik, 2019). The word "games" is explicitly referred to in the new English subject curriculum in secondary school for the first time. However, little research is conducted in classrooms on how teachers actually use commercial games in English instruction, and even less on the combination of video games and other forms of resources (e.g. analogue).
As part of the research project Vocational and General Students' use of English in and out of school (VOGUE), this paper provides knowledge on the use of online gaming in L2 English instruction and aims to investigate how the combination of playing an online game and reading a printed novel influences student engagement and learning. This paper presents a video-based classroom study from a secondary school. The data were collected from 30 English lessons in two 8th grade classes (students aged 12–13 years), involving one teacher, six student teachers and 60 secondary school students during a two-week game-based project. Video recordings can be strengthened by adding supplementary data, thus the video recordings were complemented with screen recordings, student texts and student interviews. The paper therefore draws on four datasets: (1) video recorded classroom lessons, (2) screen recordings from students' laptops, (3) students' texts concerning the video-based instruction, and (4) student interviews concerning their experiences of such instruction.
The video and screen recordings were analysed using the Protocol for Language Arts Teaching Observations (PLATO), which provides a valuable lens to ways of conceptualizing teaching quality (Grossman et al., 2013). The PLATO scores are qualitatively examined together with the students' perceptions and students' texts. This study is the first to use the PLATO protocol for recordings of game-based instruction, and thus discusses advantages and difficulties in the operationalisation of PLATO for such observation. The findings show that the combination of playing an online game and reading a printed novel matters in terms of student engagement. In addition, girls and boys perceived the combination of gameplay and reading somewhat differently, based on their prior experience with gameplay outside school, suggesting that their experience with the digital resource outside school influences both engagement and learning.
References
Brevik, L. M. (2019). Gamers, Surfers, Social Media Users: Unpacking the role of interest in English. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 35, 595–606. Erstad, O., Kjällander, S., & Järvelä, S. (2021). Facing the challenges of 'digital competence' – a Nordic agenda for curriculum development for the 21st century. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 16(2), 77-87. Grossman, P., Loeb, S., Cohen, J., & Wyckoff, J. (2013). Measure for measure: The relationship between measures of instructional practice in middle school English language arts and teachers' value-added scores. American Journal of Education, 119(3), 445–470.
Presenters Shilan Ahmadian PhD-candidate, University Of Oslo, Norway
Integrating digital puzzle games into the language classroom: Practical steps and rationale
Oral Presentation[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom Integration01:15 PM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/18 11:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/18 14:15:00 UTC
Two decades ago, Prensky (2001) and Gee (2003) directed the attention of researchers and teachers towards the untapped potential of digital games for education. In the years that followed, much research has been carried out on digital game-based learning, including a substantial number of studies investigating the potential of such games for foreign language education (Peterson, 2013; Peterson et al. 2020). The findings of these studies indicate that certain digital games can effectively facilitate various aspects of language learning, most notably the acquisition of new vocabulary. The research also suggests that in general, games designed for entertainment purposes, rather than for education, tend to result in more effective language learning (Dixon & Dixon, 2022). Furthermore, researchers have found that by supplementing digital game tasks with scaffolding materials and activities that draw the attention of learners towards specific target L2 structures, language teachers may play an active role in significantly improving game-based learning outcomes (Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006; Ranalli, 2008; Wang, 2019). In this presentation, I will provide a practical overview of how I integrated the cooperative puzzle game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes into a communicative English language course at a university in Japan. I will also identify the design elements of the game that mark it, as well as other games with a similar information-gap play mechanic, as a promising tool for language learning. I will then present a brief overview of a case study carried out in order to investigate the processes of SLA during face-to-face spoken interaction between learners as they played this game in a small group. The presentation will conclude with some practical ideas on how to adapt and use the game, as well as other similar titles, for language education purposes in a classroom or self-access setting. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin. Dixon, D. H., Dixon, T., & Jordan, E. (2022). Second language (L2) gains through digital game-based language learning (DGBLL): A meta-analysis. Language Learning & Technology, 26(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10125/73464 Miller, M., & Hegelheimer, V. (2006). The SIMs meets ESL incorporating authentic computer simulation games into the language classroom. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 3(4), 311–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/17415650680000070 Peterson, M. (2013). Computer games and language learning. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Peterson, M., White, J., Mirzaei, M. S., & Wang, Q. (2020). A review of research on the application of digital games in foreign language education. In M. Kruk, & M. Peterson (Eds.), New technological applications for foreign and second language learning and teaching (pp. 69–92). IGI Global. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital game-based learning. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Ranalli, J. (2008). Learning English with The Sims: Exploiting authentic computer simulation games for L2 learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(5), 441–455. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588220802447859 Wang, Q. (2019). Classroom intervention for integrating simulation games into language classrooms: An exploratory study with the SIMS 4. CALL-EJ, 20(2), 101–127.
Presenters Michael Hofmeyr Associate Professor, Osaka University
Motivation and vocabulary learning through digital games: Who benefits and why?
Oral Presentation[SYMP28] Digital Game-Based Language Learning: Design Choices and Classroom Integration01:15 PM - 04:15 PM (Europe/Amsterdam) 2023/07/18 11:15:00 UTC - 2024/07/18 14:15:00 UTC
The potential linguistic and motivational benefits of digital games are being increasingly recognised. The extent to which any such benefits are related to learners' language proficiency levels has, however, been less frequently explored. To have real inclusive value in the context of early secondary school-based learning, where learners may be taught in fairly mixed-proficiency groups, a digital game should meet the needs of a wide range of learners. By investigating which aspects of motivation digital games can induce, and whether and how they can benefit all learners, this presentation aims to provide insights into what may make digital games more or less beneficial and how their use might need to be adapted for different groups of learners. This study draws on a European project in which a digital game was developed in six different languages. In this presentation, data from 39 lower proficiency learners of German in England (age 12-15) are presented. The data were analysed to investigate whether playing the game led to vocabulary learning, and the extent to which the game met the motivational needs of the learners, using Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) as a framework. Any relationship between vocabulary gains and how motivating learners found the game was also explored. Finally, whether these results were related to learners' self-assessed proficiency level was also examined.
Learners were asked to complete, in class, a vocabulary pre-test, in which their knowledge of 30 target items in German that featured in the game was assessed. They then played the game individually in another lesson. After the game, they were assessed on the same vocabulary items, and completed a questionnaire on their experiences of playing the game. This consisted of 20 Likert-scale items, addressing the satisfaction of psychological needs (Deci & Ryan, 2000), namely sense of competence, autonomy and relatedness. In addition, items were created to assess sense of 'flow' (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), how helpful the game was perceived to be for language learning, and how much value learners could see in playing it. Finally, learners were asked to rate their own proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and listening in German. A composite 'overall language proficiency' scale was then created.
Preliminary analyses indicate that the game was most successful in instilling a sense of 'flow' but least successful in addressing 'relatedness'. Gains in vocabulary knowledge were significantly related to learners' overall positivity towards the game. There was also a moderately strong, positive relationship between self-ratings of proficiency and the majority of motivational scales. This indicates that games of this kind may appeal more to learners who rate their language proficiency more highly. The implications of these findings for game design and how teachers scaffold their use so that they are beneficial for all learners will be discussed.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Journal of Leisure Research, 24, 93–94 Deci, E.L. and R.M. Ryan. 2000. The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry 11, 227–68.
Presenters Suzanne Graham Professor, University Of Reading
Jonathon Reinhardt
Shilan Ahmadian
Michael Hofmeyr
Suzanne Graham
