Authors:
Maria Koutantou
1
and
Maria Rangoussi
2
Affiliations:
1
Department of Early Childhood Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 13A, Navarinou Str., Athens, Greece
;
2
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of West Attica, 250, Thivon str., Athens-Egaleo, Greece
Keyword(s):
Digital Game-based Learning, Elementary School, Systematic Literature Review, Learning Outcomes, Social Skills, Metacognitive Outcomes, Research Tools, Learning Theories, Constructivism, Social Constructivism.
Abstract:
Recent research on Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) applied specifically in Primary Education is reviewed in a systematic way. 87 journal papers published in the last 4 years (2017 - 2020) are selected and analyzed in order to draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of DGBL (i) in producing cognitive domain learning outcomes, (ii) in developing social skills, (iii) in producing affective / metacognitive outcomes, and (iv) in offering an enjoyable experience to Primary Education students. Apart from the classic questions of literature reviews, aimed at describing the methodology, aims and outcomes of the reviewed works, the current review is also interested (a) in the ways of integrating the digital game in the educational practice, in relation to the adoption of a specific learning theory and educational method and (b) in the measurement tools employed to evaluate the effectiveness of DGBL interventions, in relation to the aims set and the results obtained. The goal of this re
view is to reveal those aspects of DGBL that recent research focuses on and at the same time those aspects that are not adequately researched and require more attention and effort. The latter result is especially useful in the planning of future studies. The results record a steadily increasing research interest in DGBL and a strongly positive effect of DGBL in all the examined axes. On the other hand, they reveal an almost general lack of a solid foundation of DGBL interventions in learning theories and consequent educational methods – an alerting situation that deserves careful examination.
(More)