This design case describes the work involved in developing a digital game-based learning environment, work that was part of a PhD research project. The designer was involved in all aspects of the project: conducting research into content that was included in the game, exploring the gaming platform (Second Life), adapting scientific literature for…

Active learning activities are becoming more prominent in the university setting, specifically in North America. However, in some departments, large class sizes make application and engagement with these types of activities particularly challenging. In response to this challenge, departments may look to supplemental programming for students, which…

An ongoing concern at institutions of higher education is persistence among underrepresented minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. This qualitative exploratory case study was designed to investigate whether combining two strategies, orientations and gamification, to provide more supports for…

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate iPersonalize, a gamified instructional approach developed by Fullerton School District (FSD) in California to encourage student engagement and promote achievement. An instructional approach is considered gamified when it incorporates computer game elements to augment existing classroom,…

The purpose of this research study was to evaluate iPersonalize, a gamified instructional approach developed by Fullerton School District (FSD) in California to encourage student engagement and promote achievement. An instructional approach is considered gamified when it incorporates computer game elements to augment existing classroom,…

One major drawback to the curriculum demand for the use of indigenous games in mathematics classrooms is the inability of most teachers to identify the mathematics in these games and consequently incorporate them when teaching specific mathematics content. The primary purpose of the study is therefore to analyze and show how the indigenous…

Some recent science education scholarship has called for a renewed focus on empowering learners to engage with science for personally and socially meaningful purposes. However, engaging with science in these ways requires that learners adopt epistemic aims in their activity, which we cannot take for granted. I argue here that serious games could…

This dissertation investigates the following research question within an informal games-based learning environment: "How do students construct scientific ideas within a games-based learning environment?" In this study, middle school youth role-played as scientists recruited by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to stop the Raven Virus…

Collaborative learning has long been proved to be a crucial agent for enhancing students' social skills, problem-solving abilities and individual learning performance. Understanding how students move from one phase to another in their collaboration process can inform educators of how best to facilitate such learning. However, this is still an area…

Widespread use of English in the academia and in business is leading an increasing number of people to learn it as a second or a foreign language. Computer aided pronunciation training (CAPT) systems are used by non-native English speakers for improving their English pronunciation. A typical CAPT tool records the speech of a learner, detects and…

This book examines a wide range of innovations in language learning and teaching in Japan. Each of the chapters describes the impetus for a change or new development in a particular context, from early childhood to adult learning, details its implementation and provides an evaluation of its success. In doing so, they provide a comprehensive…

Humans are born with the natural ability to gain skills through play. Children learn about social norms, roles and responsibilities, and language through curiosity-driven, playful interactions and activities. Learning through play harnesses the power of children's imagination and inspires active engagement with the material. The Center for…

Outdoor learning activities are very time consuming for teachers to prepare and difficult to manage, especially when the activity takes place in a non familiar environment for instance zoos. M-learning could help teachers to conduct outdoor education by involving learners in the creation and orchestration of artefacts (game). For that it is…

Although game based learning (gbl) has been widely utilized by the military, education, marketing, and advertising sectors, its effectiveness as a learning strategy or training tool is still unclear (Ariffin, Oxley, & Suliman, 2014). The present study addresses this gap and examines the effectiveness of using game based learning in primary…

There are always challenges in teaching K-12 students Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics which is called STEM subjects due to the scientific nature of these disciplines that require strong and higher order thinking along with the ability to connect abstract concepts and relate to them. Additionally, there is a decrease in number of…