Serious games as catalyst for intercultural literacy development? : a case study of Immigropoly (original) (raw)
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Digital games are played on phones, tablets, dedicated desktops, and consoles by millions of adults and children worldwide. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the research conducted concluded that video games are more than a source of relaxation, distraction and obvious fun; they are stages of the discourse on cultural, social and political practices and systems that foster conceptual and critical thinking on a wide variety of issues. Digital games also make players look outward at the world through the eyes of the characters by having them assume roles they could never have imagined for themselves. This perspective-taking helps players negotiate social complexities, diminishes biases, improves intergroup attitudes, and encourages them to view out-groups as more “self-like” and themselves as more “out-group-like”. This has led to video games being widely employed to support ethics, human-rights, intercultural, and diversity and inclusive education.
Developing a Digital Game to Support Cultural Learning amongst Immigrants
Immigrants entering the European Community face a range of challenges in adapting to and understanding the culture of their host nation. Failure to address these challenges can lead to isolation and difficulties integrating into the society of the host country, leading to fragmented communities and a range of social issues. As part of a comprehensive suite of services for immigrants, the European-funded Mobile Assistance for Social Inclusion and Empowerment of Immigrants with Persuasive Learning Technologies and Social Network Services (MASELTOV) project seeks to provide both practical tools and learning services via mobile devices, providing a readily usable resource for immigrants. In this workshop paper, the game-based learning aspect of the MASELTOV project is introduced, with the rationale behind its design presented. In doing so, the benefits and implications of mobile platforms and emergent data capture techniques for game-based learning are discussed, as are methods for putting engaging gameplay at the forefront of the experience whilst relying on rich data capture and analysis to provide an effective learning solution. Through comparison to several other projects, a number of recommendations are put forward for games deployed in contexts similar to that of MASELTOV: a focus on establishing a significant audience with which to conduct ethical research into efficacy, the need for robust pedagogical frameworks suited to the learning context, and the evolution of methods for data capture and analysis of player activity.
Cultivating Transcultural Understanding through Migration-related Videogames
This article provides a comprehensive, worldwide overview of the major video games that have addressed the phenomenon of migration, and the political, social and cultural issues that migration raises. We develop the concept of ‘transcultural understanding’ to explore how such migration-related video games can structure the development of players’ understanding of, and capacity to respond to, the contexts of cultural diversity. Our deeper, comparative analysis of three migration-related video games—Escape from Woomera (EFW Team, 2003), Papers, Please (Lukas Pope, 2013) and Everyday Racism (All Together Now, 2014)—enables us to evaluate the contextual knowledge required and the issues raised for each migration-related video game to achieve its goals. This article advances the research areas of ‘media, migration and global communication’ and ‘games studies’, and offers insights for scholars, educators and game developers who are interested in addressing the internationally significant issue of migration through their professional work.
USING VIDEO GAMES IN INTERCULTURAL, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
2018
There is growing attention to using video games for educational purposes, however, many educators struggle to find the right context to bring video games in the classroom. This article examines AAA entertainment games (titles developed by a large studio, funded by a massive budget) and serious video games (games designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment) to suggest the ways how video games could be used in classrooms to promote cultural values, human rights, world peace, to reduce stereotype thinking and prejudice, and to develop critical thinking. Selected video games challenge the learner to move beyond known paradigms, to play with cultural identities, to experience new cultures and life circumstances interactively, and to take actions to help change the situation for better in real life. The main focus of the paper is placed on games designed from 2006 to 2018 with an intended outcome to help people learn about current global challenges, including migrant issues, refugee problems, human rights, world peace, intercultural communication, etc. Some advantages and disadvantages of these video games are discussed. Additionally, several learning elements common to video games that could be used in intercultural, diversity and inclusive education are presented. Finally, this article describes some activities to conduct when using video games in the classroom and presents a task-based project involving the use of video games.
A growth in research that relates to digital games and education has been witnessed in recent years, especially within the language learning field (e.g. Reinders & Wattana, 2011; Sylven & Sundqvist, 2012; Zheng et al., 2012, among others). However, few studies question the nature of such games, both in classroom and theoretical studies. Furthermore, the issue of the ideological role of the English language in this media has yet to be sufficiently explored. That said, in this article, I discuss the status of the English language in the area of video games, arguing that the field of production of such games is essentially dominated by companies and virtual environments from English-speaking countries. It is possible, then, to notice an erasure of multicultural identities in games and their related communities (Anthropy, 2012). Nonetheless, I present possible approaches to discussing issues related to culture and identity in the English language classroom taking into consideration the video game Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna), which I analyze in this study, as well as the game development platform FazGame, which can empower the learner, giving him/her active voice in a foreign language. Considering the expansion of games that present ideology and identity themes as a concern and the readily available game-making tools, I endeavor to demonstrate that a favorable future scenario for critical and reflexive video game use in the English language classroom, one that considers the various social backgrounds that players/learners belong to, is possible. Keywords: English as a Lingua Franca; Video Games; Video game-assisted language learning.
LEARNING ABOUT REFUGEE LIFE WITH EDUCATIONAL VIDEO GAMES
Information Technologies and Learning Tools, 2023
In recent years, scholarly investigations have yielded the consensus that video games possess multifaceted attributes that extend beyond their conventional perception as mere sources of leisure, diversion, and entertainment. The immersive nature of video games has led to increased interest in their use as platforms for engaging in discourses across a diverse array of subject matters with the potential to reach a wider audience and generate meaningful impact. Combined with the sense of presence and ownership that allows players to be placed in the shoes of characters grappling with social or political issues, video games are converting into an effective and accessible tool for learning and engagement with pressing cultural, social and political issues. Current research aims to understand better the potential of educational video games to address these pressing problems, in this case, the refugee crisis, to evoke empathy and raise awareness by looking at the problem 'behind the scenes' with an audience that initially was not interested in the topic. This qualitative study (N=78) employed the narrative research method to examine experiential participatory learning with participants playing the educational video game Against All Odds developed by UNHCR. By immersing players in this virtual experience, this game was created to educate and encourage a greater understanding of the realities faced by refugees, the complexity, and dangers of the refugee experience, as well as the reasons behind their displacement. The promising results of the research show that a video game can address serious social issues by creating a simplified but still dynamic scale model of refugee reality. Participants reported an enjoyable gaming experience, newfound interest in the issue at hand, increased empathy toward refugees, and motivation to help people in need. The study illustrates that by putting players in the shoes of struggling characters, video games could make learning about these topics more engaging and, as a result, more accessible and appealing to a wider audience, including non-gamers and people previously disinterested in the topic. These results invite educators, researchers, and scholars from the fields of education, game studies, social sciences, and cultural studies to explore the potential of video games as a possible tool for engaging students, addressing social issues, raising awareness, and fostering empathy. The article also identifies several prospective domains for future research.
This contribution looks at games as a technology for communicating, sharing and learning, focusing specifically on play activity as a means to address cultural integration. The paper presents analysis and research outcomes gleaned through investigation of the persuasive urban game A Hostile World and its application to two groups of adolescents who manifested hostile feelings towards foreigners. The game immerses players in awkward situations so as to problematise and possibly modify their former mindset, prejudices and biases towards migrants, effectively generating learning outcomes capable of increasing empathy and affecting behaviours. The enquiry is an action research initiative conducted via pre-and post-experience qualitative questionnaires, short interviews and focus groups. The analysis reveals that players were involved in processes of moving and uncomfortable identification that lessened existing prejudices, increasing the comprehension of the conditions and fragility of immigrants, with relevant outcomes in terms of persisting transformative learning.
Introduction: A Game's Study Manifesto
2013
We also acknowledge that literature is only one constituent of Western culture; that non-western cultures are comprised of various components, including literature and media; that media and literature are but components of global culture; and that the terms 'western' and 'non-western' reify the Orientalism identified by Edward Said (1978). Finally, we note that digital games are not literature, but we find much promise in their consideration as popular global fiction.
A descriptive analysis of digital game-based foreign language education
Focus on ELT journal, 2023
Digital games are increasingly being used for foreign language learning; a trend that has grown popular recently. This research dives deeply into this topic, assessing different skill areas targeted by these digital games, and how they are utilized in various settings worldwide-educational and otherwise. The research takes into account studies carried out between 2010 and 2021. The study's methodology is rooted in qualitative research, specifically the embedded theory design, and the gathered data is interpreted through a descriptive analysis approach. Out of an initial pool of 145 academic studies reviewed, 57 met the necessary criteria for inclusion, such as quality of data, sample size, year of publication, gender balance, and content relevance. The analyzed data is then expressed in terms of frequency and percentages for simplicity and easier understanding. The findings show that studies focusing on the use of digital games for foreign language learning have multiplied in recent years. However, a large proportion of these studies are heavily focused on vocabulary acquisition. This led to the suggestion that future work in this area should broaden its scope to include other important language skills like reading, writing, and listening, in addition to vocabulary.