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Abstract (PDF, 21 KB)
Computer Game Development as a Literacy Activity report (PDF, 439 KB)
Game Development and Play for Enhancing Literacy report (PDF, 566 KB)
Knight Elimar’s Last Joust Game Field Trial report (PDF, 621 KB)
This study examined computer game development as a pedagogical activity to motivate and engage students in curriculum-related literacy activities.
We hypothesized that, as a consequence of game development, students would improve their traditional reading and writing skills as well as develop new digital literacy skills. Eighteen classes of grade 4 students were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Both groups studied the same curriculum unit over a 10-week period. However, in addition, the experimental group developed computer games related to the unit using a game development shell. An analysis of pre- and post-unit scores on two standardized literacy test batteries revealed that the experimental students performed significantly better than the control group on one of the subtests, a measure of logical sentence construction (p=. 002).
Field notes and teacher interview data indicated that game development supported student content retention, ability to compare and contrast information presented, use of more and different kinds of research materials including digital resources, the growth of editing skills, and development of insight into questioning skills.
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