The Impact Of Game Based Learning Education Essay Example

or Digital Immigrants adapted to these changes later on in life. Incorporating technology into education is crucial for providing relevant education for Digital Native students who are accustomed to instant access to information and immediate feedback, making traditional lectures and exams less stimulating for them.Digital Natives prefer learning experiences that are active, challenging, immediately useful, and enjoyable. Games have a captivating effect on students as they create engagement. When games are used for educational purposes (game-based learning) and aligned with curriculum objectives, they provide learner-centered lessons that are easier, more enjoyable, more interesting, and more effective. In addition to this, games can improve problem-solving and critical thinking skills by offering immediate feedback. Students can evaluate their progress through scoring systems and levels within the game itself. Collaboration is encouraged as it allows students to work together in finding solutions and sharing knowledge and skills during gameplay. Malone (1980) stresses the importance of challenge, fantasy, and wonder in games for student engagement. Prensky also emphasizes the power of motivation in using games within educational settings. Games motivate students to actively seek out information in order to overcome challenges and obstacles. On the other hand, traditional classrooms provide information but expect students to determine its relevance within a broader context (Tham & Tham, 2012).The concept of flow experience in games is linked to motivation. When a game fully immerses learners and makes them lose track of time, it is considered immersive (Mattheiss et al., 2009). Educators must teach scholars how to bring about behavior change to ensure effective educational games. This change indicates true learning, as scholars should apply what they have learned instead of repeating past

actions. If a game fails to prompt this change, it suggests a flaw in the game design rather than the concept of game-based learning itself.

Increasing information retrieval is also important, and playing and having fun can serve as methods of relaxation. Psychologist William Glasser recognized fun as one of the fundamental needs driving human behavior through his Glasser's Choice Theory. Brain studies researchers suggest that incorporating fun into learning is crucial for true learning and long-term retention.

Therefore, educational games not only make learning enjoyable but also enhance students' ability to retain information (Tham & Tham, 2012). Game-based learning has been present for some time now with various games specifically designed for educational purposes.Teachers have incorporated certain games into their teaching practices (Williamson, 2009). Numerous studies have investigated the impact of game-based learning in different subject areas (Divjak & Tomic, 2011; Papastergiou, 2008; Tham & Tham, 2012; Yien et al., 2011). Considering gender is also important when examining games. Traditionally, it was believed that males were more interested in intense games such as combat, shooting, and sports. However, research indicates that girls also participate in these types of games but approach them differently than boys. As girls grow older, their interest in games tends to decline faster compared to boys who continue gaming on computers (Williamson, 2009).

Despite differences between genders regarding computer usage and game preferences among boys and girls vary. Boys typically choose gaming as their preferred activity while girls usually turn to gaming only when they are bored (Kirriemuir & McFarlane, 2004). Nevertheless,there will always be individuals who oppose game-based learning for various reasons. Some argue that gaming can divert students from their educational

goals resulting in wasted time and inadequate education. Dr.Heather Coffey from The UNC School of Education believes using games for educational purposes may impose an unnecessary burden on teachers assuming they possess technological expertise.The use of technologically advanced materials can lighten the workload for teachers (Coffey). From a researcher's perspective, it is important to recognize that game-based learning can be an innovative approach to educating students nowadays. Well-designed games have the potential to effectively motivate and engage students. The lack of motivation and effectiveness should not solely be attributed to the use of games; instead, it could be due to poorly designed games that fail to cater to appropriate learning contexts and outcomes or inadequate integration into lesson plans by teachers. An exemplary case demonstrating successful game-based learning is Quest to Learn (Q2L), a public school in New York City that incorporates play, socialization, teamwork, and learning into its curriculum using game design principles. This research proposal aims to investigate how game-based learning impacts engagement, motivation, and learning effectiveness in ICT lessons in Malta. The proposal will provide further details on implementing game-based learning during these lessons. The study involves comparing two teaching methods for ICT in early secondary school years - one involving a gambling application and the other without. Both methods cover the same objectives, outcomes, and content. Scholars will analyze both methods to determine which is preferred based on engagement, effectiveness,and motivation.The study will divide participants into Group A, who will use the gambling application, and Group B, who will not. Both groups will have equal time for acquisition sessions. Prior to the sessions, a pre-test questionnaire will gather data on resume

variables and previous knowledge from both groups. Following the sessions, a post-test questionnaire will collect quantitative and qualitative data. Any changes in subject knowledge among students will be attributed to their chosen learning method. At the end of the sessions, a feedback questionnaire will assess students' perspectives and suggestions on the learning method. It is important for both groups to receive the same set of knowledge-related questions before and after the sessions.

The participants in this study will be randomly selected from Form 2 pupils in a Boys' Secondary School and a Girls' Secondary School. The sample size includes 47 boys and 43 girls aged between 12 and 13 years old, totaling 90 pupils. To avoid potential bias, it is preferable for all participants to come from the same college. Random selection ensures a diverse group with varying abilities; however, it is essential that all students possess basic computer skills such as managing open windows, basic typing skills, and mouse handling. These students will be divided into six classes with each class consisting of 15 studentsEach class will consist of both boys and girls. Group A, which is made up of three classes, will use the gaming application "Rescue La Vallette - An Adventure in Time" developed by Manuel Zammit in 2007. The main objective of this game is to encourage collaborative work among students in a fun and motivating environment while also improving their ICT skills. The game revolves around the historical era of the Knights of St John of Malta, with all activities related to this storyline. By playing "Rescue La Vallette," students can learn various ICT skills including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet usage,

and email. It's important to note that "Rescue La Vallette" received recognition and the EU eLearning Award in 2008 from the Danish Technological Institute. To effectively incorporate this game into learning sessions, it is necessary to create a set of lesson plans. In Maltese schools, ICT teachers typically focus on helping their students successfully achieve ECDL certification. They start lessons by explaining how to complete specific tasks and provide worksheets with content similar in difficulty level as the ECDL testSessions in this research study will follow a similar approach where students will work on topic-related worksheets during class time. The literature review has led to the formulation of several hypotheses that will be considered throughout the study. These hypotheses include Group A participants performing better in the post-knowledge test compared to Group B, and Group A participants providing more positive responses in the post-questionnaire compared to Group B. Additionally, it is hypothesized that boys in Group A will perform better in the post-knowledge test compared to girls in Group A, and boys in Group A will provide more positive responses in the post-questionnaire compared to girls in Group A.

To investigate these hypotheses and obtain results on engagement, effectiveness, and motivation for each learning method, participants will complete a pre-test questionnaire, a post-test questionnaire, and a post-test feedback questionnaire. The pre-test questionnaire includes demographic variables such as gender, age, and average grade from the previous academic year. Participants' satisfaction with the learning method can also be assessed using a four-level Likert scale ranging from "never" to "excellent".The text proposes that the perception of the learning method can be evaluated on a scale from 1 to 5,

rating factors such as interest, enjoyment, engagement, understanding of ICT concepts, ease of use, motivation, effectiveness, collaboration, self-assessment and feedback. The assessment also suggests using open-ended questions to gather feedback. It suggests analyzing students' engagement, motivation and learning effectiveness through game-based learning. Incorporating educational games into schools is seen as progressive due to students' love for playing computer games. Well-designed computer games used with instructor guidance can serve as an innovative teaching approach. The proposal also addresses gender biases and presents a potential evaluation method which includes utilizing gaming applications in the research design and participant sampling process.The text below explains how the evaluation process will be conducted, including the distribution of pre-test questionnaires, post-test questionnaires, and post-test feedback questionnaires. This method can assess student engagement, motivation, and learning effectiveness in game-based and non-game based approaches. It also allows for evaluating the impact of gender on the subject. To validate these findings, it is recommended to conduct this evaluation in another school or implement game-based approaches in other subjects and evaluate the results. With the use of modern technology, this research aims to offer a new teaching approach for ICT and other subjects in Maltese secondary schools.