=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=None
|storemode=property
|title=Supporting Knowledge Construction with Mobile Learning Games
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-709/paper15.pdf
|volume=Vol-709
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/ectel/Schmitz10
}}
==Supporting Knowledge Construction with Mobile Learning Games==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-709/paper15.pdf
Supporting knowledge construction with mobile
learning games
Birgit Schmitz
Humance AG
Goebenstraße 10-12, 50672 Köln, Germany
bschmitz@humance.de
Abstract. This project researches the potential of mobile learning games to
support information access and motivation for educationally disadvantaged
learners. Based on the Game Design Patterns for Mobile Games by Davidsson
et. al [6] it will analyse existing didactic methods/patterns used within mobile
learning games to impart subject related knowledge. The identified patterns will
provide the base for developing an exemplary concept prototype application for
mobile learning games. The prototype will be used to empirically test how the
relevant game design patterns influence learning and teaching and scrutinize the
interplay of game design patterns and possible corresponding educational
objectives. The test results will lead to recommendations of how mobile
learning games should be designed to effectively support motivation and
information access for learners difficult to reach.
Keywords: mobile learning games, game design patterns, learners difficlt to
reach
1 Introduction
Making education accessible to everyone is a problem: Unterfrauner [21] states that
the smaller the income the smaller the penetration rate of PCs and the smaller the
possibility for youths to have access the internet (no access point). Also, according to
the JIM Study [13] the level of education influences the kind of device that is
prevailing. It states that the higher the educational background the more likely youths
are equipped with computer, internet or digital camera whereas with game consoles
and television it is contrariwise. Hence, social circumstances reinforce prevailing
educational disadvantages. With regard to mobile devices, the situation changes
though. Nearly all youths (99%) at the age of 13-19 years possess a mobile phone
regardless of their social or educational background [13]. By now, the cell phone is
the most widely adopted mobile console in the world and cell phone games are most
likely to become the biggest platform in the coming years [11] with the rapidly
developing mobile technology paving the way. The process power and screen
resolution of mobile devices is steadily increasing, they have enhanced memory and
the possibilities to access the internet or to communicate with one another are
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constantly improving [19, 8, 15] making content portable and conveniently accessible
anytime, everywhere and whenever needed [20, 18]. This way mobile technology
offers enormous potential for teaching and learning (cf. [5], [19], [12]).
This Phd-work researches the educational potential of mobile learning games for
educationally disadvantaged learners i.e. learners that are hard to reach, hard to access
or hard to engage (e.g. third chance education). It is related to the German BMBF-
funded research project SpITKom that focuses on the acquisition of subject-related
(IT-) knowledge for educationally disadvantaged learners.
2 Research question
This PhD-work studies the design, use conditions and effects of mobile learning
games that aim at supporting learners difficult to reach. With special regard to the
target group’s needs it scrutinizes how mobile learning games can effectively
contribute to the creation of situative learning scenarios that amongst other things
enhance encoding and recall (cf. [18], [11]). In this effort, it resorts to the Game
Design Patterns for Mobile Games [6]. It analyses existing learning games according
to this categorization and aims at identifying those patterns that effectively support
the acquisition of knowledge for learners difficult to reach. It thereby concentrates on
the acquisition of knowledge on the levels of knowledge and skills. According to
Bloom’s taxonomy [3] this relates to the lowest level of educational objectives in the
cognitive domain (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis,
evaluation). The main objectives of this PhD-work therefore can be summarized as
follows:
- What are effective mobile game design patterns to support learners?
- How can Game Design Patterns for Mobile Games be used to deliver new
forms of effective and joyful situated learning?
- What are best practices for mobile learning games to support knowledge,
comprehension and application?
As a secondary objective this project is (1) to create an exemplary concept prototype
for mobile learning games that can be described as an effective and motivating
learning scenario and (2) to present instructional design guidelines for the
development and application of effective and motivating mobile learning games that
address learners difficult to reach.
3 Relevance
This research project deals with the merge of the two different concepts of learning
and gaming and relates them to the increasingly important aspect of mobile
technology in the process of learning. It brings together relevant research results and
recent developments from the field of mobile technology and game technology that
are both paving the way for the growing use of mobile (learning) games and takes into
consideration parallel developments in the field of the pattern approach.
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3.1 Mobile technology
Findings from research on mobile learning projects frequently indicate the unique
opportunities mobile technologies (i.e. PDAs, Smartphone, mobile phones, etc. )
provide for educational purposes (e.g., [5], [19], [2]): Learning with mobile devices
means using real-world resources that can make education more meaningful [12].
Compared to other technologies, mobile devices tend to be relatively simple to use
and learners may be able to provide support to each other [5]. The size of learning
material delivered by mobile devices is comparatively small. Learners can proceed at
their own pace and access content to improve their basic skills [20]. This way, mobile
devices help learners to recognize their existing abilities and to develop and improve
confidence, autonomy and engagement [5, 19]).
Up to now, mobile devices are not instantly associated with the learning. They are
in use primarily for communication and entertainment purposes [21]. It can therefore
be expected that learners are more readily prepared to use mobile devices for the
learning because they are a cool thing to use, the learning is not instantly obvious to
others and mobile devices are nearly always at hand anyway [16]. Thus, mobile
devices offer low-threshold learning opportunities that can help solving the
motivational problems third chance education has. Findings of the Mobile Learning
NETwork (MoLeNET programme) for example support this assumption [5].
3.2 Game Based Learning
According to the JIM study [13], game based learning approaches seem to be another
way of providing the target group with motivating, low-threshold learning offers.
Learning by playing has a very long tradition in the theory and practice of pedagogy
and psychology (cf. [9]). Also, computer games have been into existence for quite a
long time. The combination of both, namely learning by playing a computer game
(digital game based learning) has rapidly become subject to research activities [10].
Supporters of using digital game environments for the learning frequently refer to
their potential to offer more self-determined and motivating ways to learn which is
often missing in traditional computer-based training systems (cf. [14, [1, [17]). Recent
research results (cf. [7]) claim that computer games for educational use provide for
e.g. increased motivation, more interest in a subject or simulations that present
material differently.
Playing games whether they are explicitly designed to foster the acquisition of
knowledge or not, may support the development of certain strategies and skills such
as problem-solving, decision-making, understanding complex systems, planning or
data handling for example [17]. Also, they support the acquisition of factual
knowledge [17] according to a predefined set of subject related facts that can be
matched against a fixed syllabus or standardised testings.
What is missing though, when considering the use of Game Based Learning
approaches for educational purposes is guidance in the sense of why and how are
mobile learning games effective? Patterns are able to provide this guidance.
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3.3 Patterns
When talking about games it is mostly referred to game genres i.e. firstperson
shooters, strategy games, etc. (cf. [17]). In the context of educational games, this
categorisation is not stable and rather difficult to apply though [6]. This is due to the
vital need of tailoring learning offers (i.e. educational games) according to the
learners needs and according to the learning target instead of fixed genre features.
Björk et. al [4] have therefore proposed a more unified apporach. They have presented
a model “… to support the design, analysis, and comparison of games through the use
of game design patterns …” Their approach reflects the need for a common structure
and language for games to better understand the complex issue.
Davidsson et al. [6] have expanded this already existing set of Game Design
Patterns by 75 new patterns that describe the unique characteristics of mobile games
[6]. The new collection (Game Design Patterns for Mobile Games) was identified and
verified out of existing commercial mobile games and games categorized as
“experimental” or “research” mobile games. For this PhD-work, this set of Game
Design Patterns for Mobile Games introduced by Davidson et al. [6] serves as starting
basis to establish a set of guidelines for the instructional design of mobile learning
games (Game Patterns for Mobile Learning Support) that support knowledge
construction for learners difficult to reach.
4 Method
The research project has been organised into four studies:
1) Study 1 (Literature review) reflects the subject of Mobile Game Based Learning
from different perspectives. It comprises a general overview of the literature in the
field of mobile learning projects and depicts state of the art design and use of
mobile games scrutinizing the prospects of applying them to educational
scenarios. The study will be based on the Game Design Patterns for Mobile
Games [6]. Their approach will help to identify game elements (mobile game
design patterns) that are relevant for the acquisition of subject-related knowledge.
The literature review will be the base for further research into the mechanisms of
mobile learning game design.
2) Study 2 (Information access and motivation) scrutinizes how Game Design
Patterns for Mobile Games influence information access and motivation for
learners difficult to reach. For this study, an exemplary concept prototype for
mobile learning games will be developed that is based on the patterns identified in
the analysis of mobile learning games as described above.
3) Study 3 (Subject-related knowledge) applies the results from study 2 (patterns that
influence motivation and information access). By varying the level of knowledge
this study will provide insight into the extent to which mobile learning games
might be employed as a tool to support the acquisition of subject-related
knowledge.
4) Study 4 (Conditions of use), consolidates the experiments and evaluates their
outcome. As a result it will extend the Game Design Patterns for Mobile Games to
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a set of Game Patterns for Mobile Learning Support. Thus, this study will offer
recommendations for educators, instructional designers and teachers as to the
design of mobile learning games that support subject-related knowledge
construction for learners difficult to reach.
5 Evaluation Design
In a broader sense, the different game design patterns can be taken as different
teaching methods or at least as elements of the rather generalizing teaching method
game based learning. However, this project will not research the “best”
method/pattern to acquire subject-related knowledge. It will rather proof that for a
given target group (learners difficult to reach) and delivered via mobile devices
certain patterns have positive effects on (1) the learning gains (Knowledge,
Comprehension), (2) the capacity to retain knowledge, (3) the learners contentment
and (4) the learners self-assessment (regarding the achievements). Indicators such as
effects on the learning gains and the capacity to retain knowledge (learning
performance) will be assessed by guided tests with both the control group and the
experimental group. Additionally for the learner’s contentment and self-assessment,
the participants will be interviewed.
The experiments will be carried out as field or quasi-experiments with a post-test
control group and an experimental group. A pre-test will guarantee an effective
experimental setting. It will be carried out to have both the experimental and the
posttest control group as homogenous as possible thus lessening bias. The
experiments for both studies will be carried out with a fixed group of learners
recruited from the ongoing research project SpITKom. The mobile devices necessary
for the experiments will be provided by the project.
6 Conclusion
Up to now, no experiments have been conducted in the course of this Phd-work to
seize the influence of mobile learning games on motivation and information access
for learners difficult to reach. However, this approach assumes that mobile learning
games provide a promising way to lead these learners back into education because (a)
the target group is almost consistently in possession of mobile devices which they (b)
use on a daily basis and (c) they are attracted to computer games. Therefore, this
project focuses on how mobile learning games should be designed, to meet the target
group’s needs. So far, no comprehensive research has been conducted on the use and
the design of mobile learning games to support learners difficult to reach.
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