Serious games in Education
Due to the recent acceleration of technological aptitude of children, teenagers and young adults, the importance of serious games is increasing rapidly (Deslauriers 2019). Students prefer to learn “through programs they can control, such as videogames” (Corriveau & Shi, 2010 p8). Although serious games have a primary focus on education, it is important, that the game remains fun for the user. A student will quickly lose interest in a game if the element of fun is not somehow presented or integrated (Annetta, Lamb and Stone 2011). If students are having fun while learning, they will be more inclined to continue to engage (Michael and Chen 2006).
In the past, educators have not widely accepted computer games as an additional learning tool alternative to traditional methods (Squire, Video Games in Education 2003). There are many suspicions and critiques surrounding games as teaching tools and how to evaluate their effectiveness. Zepp (2005) stated that teachers interact better with students than machines as they can sense emotional problems and learning difficulties. However, Michael Chen (2006) argues that “the value of having computers in classrooms and the internet is continuously improving and creating new learning opportunities for students universally”.
Learning through a serious game is known as active learning, which is considered to be a useful and practical learning technique. Active learning has been shown to promote better recall, enjoyment and understanding than traditional learning methods (Petty 2004). A recent study shows that “though students felt as if they learned more through traditional lectures, they actually learned more when taking part in classrooms that employed active-learning strategies” (Deslauriers 2019).
Before the advent of computers, learning and teaching processes were supported by teachers and written texts. Since the introduction of educational games and serious games, there is now competition with written texts regarding their ability to transfer knowledge (Stege, Lankveld and Spronck 2011). Teachers have the ability to be engaging and interact with students, written texts do not. A piece of written text, e.g. in a textbook, is purely informative and the static format and appearance can be difficult to motivate a student (Petty 2004). Additionally, it is believed that video games can promote a positive attitude toward learning (Durkin and Barber 2002), mainly as a result of their intrinsically motivating character (Fengfeng 2008).
