Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

Literature Review

Group Topic: What behavioural management strategies are the most effective for
enhancing student engagement?

Individual Topic: What effect does the implementation of game-based learning have on
competition and student engagement?

The more engaged a student is at school the more likely they are to receive higher

grades, perform better on standardized tests, and less likely to be disruptive or drop out of

school (Chase et al., 2014; Wang & Holcombe, 2010; Reyes et al., 2012). Engaged students

are those who attend school regularly, are focussed on their learning, follow the rules, avoid

disruptive behaviours, and have good relationships with teachers and peers. It is up to the

teachers, and school as a whole, to implement policies and strategies to make students feel

more welcome and make them engaged learners. What behavioural management strategies

are the most effective for enhancing student engagement? This assignment will be looking

at the effect of implementing game-based learning on student engagement in the

classroom.

What is Game-Based Learning?

Game-based learning and gamification are two similar concepts that employ the use

of gaming elements in a real-life setting in an attempt to engage learners (Alsawaier, 2018;

Pho & Dinscore, 2015). There does not seem to be an agreement on the difference between

game-based learning and gamification, however, Keeler (2015) stated that game-based

learning is the actual playing of games to learn desired content (as cited by Alsawaier, 2018),

while gamification is simply the use of game elements, such as handing out points for the

completion of tasks (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015). As gamification includes a sense of

competition, students will treat it almost the same as they do any other game, and as such

this assignment will be treating them as the same thing.

Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

Game-based learning can be any form of game, whether it be a board game or trivia

competition based on learning content, scavenger hunts, or digital games. Kapp (as cited by

Camilleri & Camilleri, 2017) says students are more connected to technology now more than

ever and the world is becoming more dependent on the use of technology so incorporating

digital games into the classroom will not only teach students the content but get them used

to using technology. Digital games might also have the greatest effect on student

engagement as digital games are created to attract players and keep them entertained for

extended periods of time (Gholizadeh, Taghiyareh & Alvandkoohi, 2017). When

implemented correctly students will be so captivated by the in-game task that they lose the

sense of effort and repetition they might have otherwise felt through mere teacher

instruction (Fengfeng, Kui & Ying, 2016).

Research has found that teachers enjoy implementing games into their classroom as

students come in more enthusiastic an eager to begin lesson (Huizenga, Ten Dam, Voogt &

Admiraal, 2017). Teachers noticed that because the students were engaged in the games,

more time was spent on task and more work was completed (Armier, Shepherd & Skrabut,

2016). More time focussed on the game and accompanying content means that not only

are students learning more, but the time spent on settling disruptive behaviour is greating

decreased. However, this does not mean teachers give students a game and sit back and

relax. Students can still become disengaged and it is up to the teacher to monitor student

engagement and improve the learning experience where possible, such as setting more

ambitious goals (Gholizadeh, Taghiyareh & Alvandkoohi, 2017).

Many children can find the drill and practice form of teaching rather boring and

disengaging. This can be especially true for students with learning disabilities. Implementing
Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

games can improve the engagement of these students by making the learning process fun

(Vasalou et al., 2016). In a study on Preservice teachers learning to implement games in the

classroom McColgan, Colesante & Andrade (2018) noted a preservice teacher as saying, “I

noticed the classroom going from quiet and boring to fun and more communicative…it

broke down this wall between the teacher and student.” This seems to imply that because

the students were having fun, instead of being told what to do, they were more willing to

ask a teacher for help to complete the game. This shows how learning can be fun and how

learning is important to completing tasks.

What factor causes engagement?

Game-based learning influences student engagement, but what is it about game-

based learning that causes engagement? Research seem to show that it is the competition

in games that drives student engagement (Cagiltay, Ozcelik & Ozcelic, 2015; Huizenga, Ten

Dam, Voogt & Admiraal, 2017; Armier, Shepherd & Skrabut, 2016). Students in competition

spent more of their time on average in the game in an attempt to be the best (Cagiltay,

Ozcelik & Ozcelic, 2015). All this extra time put into the game exposes them to more

content, provides them with more practice, and improves their knowledge and

understanding of the topic as a result. Games do not have to be inherently competitive as

students were noted as saying they became competitive and wanted to perform better

(Armier, Shepherd & Skrabut, 2016). As stated before, it does not even have to be a game in

order to get students to compete. Gamifying ordinary lessons by simply adding rewards for

the completion of certain tasks you have created a kind of metagame where the students

are now competing with one another (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015). Despite many studies

showing a link between competition and game-based learning, other research has found
Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

that competition has no effect and that it may come down to the competitive culture where

the studies were undertaken (Chen & Chen, 2018).

Limitations

The belief that children learn while playing has been around for millennia as playing children

tend to gain intellectual, socio-emotional, and motor skills (De Grove, Bourgonjon & Looy,

2012). However, incorporating a game into the classroom is not as easy as it may seem. Just

playing any game may engage students, but as teachers we need to critically analyse

resource we bring into the classroom to make sure that they are going to learn the right

content from it (Bourgonjon et al., 2013). Teachers, and preservice teachers alike, need

extra training to be taught how to create or correctly implement games into their teaching

practice in order to improve student learning (Bourgonjon et al., 2013; Li, 2013; Walsh,

2015).

Conclusion

Despite the controversy over the differences between gamification and game-based

learning, the effect competition has on game-based learning and student engagement, and

the teachers’ skill level in implementing game-based learning into the classroom it seems

clear that game-based learning has some kind of effect on student learning. I hope to

determine how much of an effect competition has on engagement and if the students are

noticing the content in the game and learning. After all, students may learn important things

unknowingly while playing a game, but if they don’t see the relevance of it, see a link to the

real world, or even feel like they’ve learned anything, then has it really improved their

understanding of the topic?

Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

Data Collection Protocol

Dear Potential Participant:

I am working on a project on enhancing student engagement through behavioural management

strategies for the class, ‘Researching Teaching and Learning 2,’ at Western Sydney University. As part of
the project, I am collecting information to help inform the design of a teacher research proposal.

My topic will be focusing on implementing game-based learning. Game-based learning is a strategy used
to engage students in the content by making it fun and exciting. It can also promote a sense of
competition where students then compete to be the best, forcing them to think creatively and
understand the topic better. I would like to see the effect game-based has on student engagement and
whether they think the experience was a positive learning experience, just a fun time, or made the
subject worse. I will be collecting this data through surveys conducted either at the end of a class or
during their spare time at home. This will consist of a sheet of questions for the students to answer and
hand back to me.

By signing this form, I acknowledge that:

 I have read the project information and have been given the opportunity to discuss the
information and my involvement in the project with the researcher/s.
 The procedures required for the project and the time involved have been explained to me, and
any questions I have about the project have been answered to my satisfaction.
 I consent to completing the survey.
 I understand that my involvement is confidential and that the information gained during this
data collection experience will only be reported within the confines of the ‘Researching Teaching
and Learning 2’ unit, and that all personal details will be de-identified from the data.
 I understand that I can withdraw from the project at any time, without affecting my relationship
with the researcher/s, now or in the future.

By signing below, I acknowledge that I am the legal guardian of a person who is 16 or 17 years old and
provide my consent for the person’s participation.

Signed: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

Date: _________________________________
Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

Questionnaire

I would like you to reflect on the game we played during today’s class and answer the
following questions based on your experience.

Strongly Strongly
Disagree Neither Agree
Disagree Agree
1. Playing the game increased my
understanding of mathematics

2. The game helped me learn

3. It provided content that focused

my attention
4. I really enjoyed participating in this
game

5. The game was very interesting

6. I lost track of time while playing

the game

7. I wanted to finish first

8. I became very involved in the game

forgetting about other things

9. The game was challenging

10. Playing it stretched my capabilities

to the limit

11. I was quite skilled at the game

This set of Questions has been adapted from a list by Hamari et al. (2016) constructed to
determine the students’ “subjective experience of challenge, skills, engagement, immersion
and perceived learning-based items.”
Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

Data Collection Protocol Explained

As I was interested in the level of engagement of the students in the class I created a
list of questions adapted from Hamari et al. (2016) which sought to determine how engaged
they were, if the difficulty of the task affected how engaged they were, and if they thought
they the task helped them learn. Conducting these questions in the form of an interview
would have limited the number of students I could get feedback from and, thus not provide
me with a sufficient view of the effect the game had on the class as a whole. What may have
worked for a low achieving student might have made for a boring lesson for the gifted and
talented student, and the same for Indigenous vs non-Indigenous, rich vs. poor, etc. With a
classroom so diverse I wanted to get as many responses as possible. This is best done in the
form of a survey that the students would be able to complete at the end of the class.

The choice to use a questionnaire rather than conduct surveys was to limit the
amount of time students were taken away from their classes or breaks. Had they been taken
from their break, many would have said anything to hurry the process, thus making the
responses unreliable. Conducting a questionnaire also removes the chance of injecting any
kind of bias into the conversation. I want to receive the students’ honest opinions. This is a
very small-scale research project and thus, to get as much information as possible in such a
short amount of time a questionnaire was a better choice than interviews. All, Castellar, and
Looy (2015) researched the effectiveness of game-based learning and stated that they could
not make any representative claims on their findings due to the limited number of
participants and stated that conducting a survey could improve representativeness.

This literature review shows a definite link between competition, the

implementation of game-based learning, and student engagement. However, while it seems
that both of these positively effect student engagement, little seems to have been done to
determine whether student believe they have actually been learning or just having fun. It
can be quite easy for students to be engaged and complete the games, but then not see a
link to their content or the real world. This protocol aims to determine whether the game
and competition has had an effect on student learning as well as engagement.
Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

References

All, A., Castellar, E. P. N., & Van Looy, J. (2014). Measuring Effectiveness in Digital Game-

Based Learning: A Methodological Review. International Journal of Serious

Games, 1(2).

Alsawaier, R. S. (2018). The effect of gamification on motivation and

engagement. International Journal Of Information & Learning Technology, 35(1),

56-79. doi:10.1108/IJILT-02-2017-0009

Armier Jr, D. D., Shepherd, C. E., & Skrabut, S. (2016). Using game elements to increase

student engagement in course assignments. College Teaching, 64(2), 64-72.

Bourgonjon, J., De Grove, F., De Smet, C., Van Looy, J., Soetaert, R., & Valcke, M. (2013).

Acceptance of game-based learning by secondary school teachers. Computers &

Education, 6721-35. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.02.010

Cagiltay, N. E., Ozcelik, E., & Ozcelik, N. S. (2015). The effect of competition on learning in

games. Computers & Education, 87, 35-41.

Camilleri, M. A., & Camilleri, A. C. (2017). The Students' Perceptions of Digital Game-Based

Learning. Proceedings Of The European Conference On Games Based Learning, 56-

62.

Chase, P. A., Hilliard, L. J., Geldhof, G. J., Warren, D. J., & Lerner, R. M. (2014). Academic

achievement in the high school years: The changing role of school

engagement. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 43(6), 884-896.

Chen, C., Law, V., & Chen, W. (2018). The effects of peer competition-based science learning

game on secondary students’ performance, achievement goals, and perceived

Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

ability. Interactive Learning Environments, 26(2), 235-244.

doi:10.1080/10494820.2017.1300776

De Grove, F., Bourgonjon, J., & Van Looy, J. (2012). Digital games in the classroom? A

contextual approach to teachers’ adoption intention of digital games in formal

education. Computers in Human behavior, 28(6), 2023-2033.

Fengfeng, K., Kui, X., & Ying, X. (2016). Game-based learning engagement: A theory- and

data-driven exploration. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 47(6), 1183-

1201. doi:10.1111/bjet.12314

Gholizadeh, M., Taghiyareh, F., & Alvandkoohi, S. (2017). Determining the Interrelationship

Among Player Engagement Features in Game-Based Vocabulary

Learning. Proceedings Of The European Conference On Games Based Learning, 197-

203.

Hamari, J., Shernoff, D. J., Rowe, E., Coller, B., Asbell-Clarke, J., & Edwards, T. (2016).

Challenging games help students learn: An empirical study on engagement, flow

and immersion in game-based learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 170-

179.

Huizenga, J. C., Ten Dam, G. T. M., Voogt, J. M., & Admiraal, W. F. (2017). Teacher

perceptions of the value of game-based learning in secondary

education. Computers & Education, 110, 105-115.

Li, Q., Lemieux, C., Vandermeiden, E., & Nathoo, S. (2013). Are you ready to teach secondary

mathematics in the 21st century? A study of preservice teachers’ digital game

design experience. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 45(4), 309-337.

Researching, Teaching, and Learning 2 – Ben Morgan 16565832

McColgan, M. W., Colesante, R. J., & Andrade, A. G. (2018). Pre-Service Teachers Learn to

Teach with Serious Games. Journal Of STEM Education: Innovations &

Research, 19(2), 19-25.

Pho, A., & Dinscore, A. (2015). Game-based learning. Tips and Trends.

Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based

learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283.

Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., White, M., & Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom

emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Journal of

educational psychology, 104(3), 700.

Vasalou, A., Khaled, R., Holmes, W., & Gooch, D. (2017). Digital games-based learning for

children with dyslexia: A social constructivist perspective on engagement and

learning during group game-play. Computers & Education, 114175-192.

doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.06.009

Walsh, C. S., Schmoelz, A. (2015). Pre-Service Teachers Designing Serious Games In.

Margaret Baguley (ed.) AARE Conference Proceedings, 1-10.

Wang, M. T., & Holcombe, R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school environment,

engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. American educational

research journal, 47(3), 633-662.