The Use of Virtual Gaming in the Teaching of the English Language at Lower Secondary

by

Table of Content

Chapter 2: Literature Reviewiii

Definition of Simulation Gamesiv

What Are Videogames And Why Do People Play Them?v

Theoretical Framework for Simulation Gamesv

Theoretical Perspectives on Computervi

Games for Learningvi

Effect of Simulation Games on Teaching Outcomesvii

Learningviii

Physical interaction in English learningviii

Situated Learningx

Learning Environmentsxi

Constructivist Learningxii

Multimedia learning effectxiii

Which Game to Usexiv

When to Use the Gamesxv

Advantages of Games-Based Learning in Educationxvii

Issues and Problems with Games-Based Learning in Educationxix

Communicative language Teaching (CLT)xix

Games motivate learnersxxi

Games promote learners' interactionxxii

Games improve learners' language acquisitionxxiii

Games increase learners' achievementxxiv

Language learning games and activitiesxxv

Levels of language, learning implicationsxxx

Levels of language, types of learning games and activitiesxxxi

Classroom games vs. computer-based gamesxxxiii

Summaryxxxvi

Referencesxxxix

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Over the last ten years, game-based learning is one of the new technologies that are having on new learning and teaching practice in and out of formal educational environments. Reviews of the research, however, revealed that there has never been a comprehensive review of the research on the effectiveness of game-based learning used in schools.

Video games such as Pac-Man (developed by Namco, 1980) and Pong (manufactured by Atari Corporation, 1972) are icons of popular culture from the late 20th century. These video games utilized simplistic graphics and entertained millions of players. As video games increased in popularity, game developers realized the potential of capitalizing on the entertainment value of games and teaching instructional content during game play in order to advance into the education arena. As a result, popular computer games such as Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (produced by Broderbund Software in 1985) and Oregon Trail (produced by MECC in 1974) were developed to teach geography and life on the American frontier.

Recently, the term “serious games” was coined to refer to simulation games designed to address more complicated and thought provoking issues such as genocide, military combat, civil court procedures, and training first responders. Simulation games refer to instruction delivered via personal computer that immerses trainees in a decision-making exercise in an artificial environment in order to learn the consequences of their decisions. Simulation games are intrinsically motivating, and people report experiencing a loss of time when playing their favorite games. Furthermore, they are widely popular in the U.K—approximately 40% of adults play video games. The ultimate goal for training professionals is to harness the motivational capacity of video games to enhance employees' work-related knowledge and skills.

Definition of Simulation Games

The simulation game literature is plagued by an abundance of definitions and little consensus on the defining features of instructional simulations and games. Several popular definitions of games agree that they are entertaining, interactive, rulegoverned, goal-focused, competitive, and they stimulate the imagination of players. The distinguishing feature of simulations is that they are reality-based, but they can also incorporate common game features such as rules and competition. Consistent with Tennyson and Jorczak (2008), I propose that there are no longer clear boundaries between these two instructional methods. For example, Salas (2001, 471) researched the effectiveness of a game for teaching chemical, biological, and radiological ...