Purpose: This paper aims to explore the characteristics of playful literacies in case study research examining digital games in secondary English classrooms. It analyzes how educators use play as a resource for meaning-making and the impacts of play on student learning. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a keyword search in relevant…

Background: While game-based language learning (GBLL) in K-12 education has received considerable attention, little is still known about its state-of-the-art research trends over the last decade, necessitating a systematic review on its theoretical frameworks, instructional activities and research findings. Objectives: To fill the gap, drawing on…

In primary education, digital games give students the opportunity to explore and participate in digital learning environments. Several researchers have found that digital game-based learning in primary education has many benefits. However, studies have also identified certain problems related to the use digital games in learning. This paper…

Quest-based learning (QBL) is a choice-driven approach that integrates game elements in a gamified or game-based learning environment. A scoping review of the research literature was conducted to examine the extent, range and nature of the QBL research activity, how the approach has been used in educational practice and what benefits or…

As past studies showed mixed results, this meta-analysis determined game-based learning's overall effect on students' critical thinking and tested for moderators, using 21 effect sizes from 20 empirical studies of 1,947 participants. The results showed that game-based learning had a significant positive overall effect on students' critical…

Background: Augmented reality (AR) emerges as a technology with considerable promise and substantial potential for pedagogical integration within language education contexts. However, there remains a scarcity of review studies exploring the best practices and principles for oral communication facilitation based on robust theoretical models or…

Body movements are regarded as part of the learning process. With the evolution of motion-sensing technology (MST) (e.g., Kinect, Xtion Pro, and Leap Motion), educational researchers try to explore the effect of MST on learning. However, the effect of MST on learning performance is still unclear. This is the first meta-analysis that aims to…

Computational thinking (CT) is considered a fundamental skill that everyone in the 21st century should have. Game-based learning (GBL) may be used to teach CT, and it's necessary to clarify how to design and implement game-based CT teaching. The literature was systematically searched for empirical studies published between 2011 and 2021.…

Gamification refers to the use of game-design elements or mechanisms in non-game contexts to promote the expected behaviours. Though theoretically promising, empirical studies reported mixed results as to the effectiveness of gamification in educational practices. To understand this issue better, this author selected 44 articles on the topic of…

Video games have become an important element of contemporary life. The need to use them in the field of education has given rise to the appearance of serious video games, which have been specially designed to achieve objectives at different educational levels and generate spaces for educational innovation. The purpose of this work is to…

Research on mobile game-based learning has been gaining attention in the past few years. To understand the potential of mobile game-based learning in STEM education, a systematic review was conducted. Based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles published during the years of 2010 through 2019 were included. Analyses were…

In the last decade, game-based learning has received growing attention in educational contexts in general and science education in particular. A recent game trend, which has also found its way into STEM classrooms, is escape rooms. In this type of game, players have to work through several puzzles to achieve a specific goal (mostly to escape from…

This review article focuses on use of an escape room as a didactic tool in teaching and learning, as identified in empirical studies that have examined the use of escape rooms in educational contexts. The review studied the methods used to study escape rooms, what the focus of attention was, what the reported use was, and implications this has for…

The objective of this article is to determine which are the international standards and norms of usability that are used in educational technology applied to the teaching of mathematics at secondary and higher education levels, focused on two scenarios: (1) digital educational resources and virtual learning environments (VLEs), and (2) game-based…

Precise assessment of school readiness is critical because it has practical and theoretical implications for children's school and life success. However, school readiness assessment mainly relies on teacher reports and a few direct evaluations requiring a trained examiner. Studies indicate that 80% of games and apps target preschool children and…