Benefits of Game-Based Learning

Dear Colleagues,

With this Special Issue we would like to focus on game-based learning and its potential benefits.

The link between learning and playing is longstanding and predates the current Higher Education climate by thousands of years.  Many prominent 20th century theorists have argued that play is a crucial component of cognitive development from birth and through adulthood.  Game-based learning is a pedagogic approach that stems from playing games -both physical and digital.  More broadly game-based learning generally refers to the application of gaming principles in educational contexts to engage learners. It involves using game mechanics, dynamics, and elements to enhance the learning experience. These elements can range from simple memorization and recall to more complex outcomes like evaluation or creativity. Game-based learning brings the strategies, rules, and social experiences of playing a game into the classroom, creating immersive and collaborative learning opportunities.

The potential for Game-based learning is enormous and has previous studies have explored a range of different approaches to integrating physical and digital games into Higher Education.  Game-based learning has been applied in a range of contexts often using game mechanics, dynamics, and elements transform the learner experience and enhance learner engagement. Research has shown that game-based learning can have positive impacts on some of the big challenges in Higher Education such   student motivation, participation, and enjoyment.  Game-based learning has been applied in a wide range of Higher Education disciplinary context from accountancy to zoology and been shown to be effective in subject specific knowledge acquisition and retention, increasing understanding and developing subject specific skills.

This special issue welcomes studies on any aspect of game-based learning – physical or digital, but especially those that investigate its role in promoting active learning, developing critical thinking and other skills, advancing understanding and mastery of a subject, promoting inclusion, or those provide frameworks for further study in the area.

Prof. Dr. Ian Turner
Guest Editor

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