M5 Blog 4: Annotated Bibliography

 Research Topic 

For my final project, I am planning on researching the use of gaming in education and how gaming can support literacy practices. This topic has always been an interest of mine as I try to make all of my lessons as engaging as possible for my students. This usually involves trying to relate my content to their interests and providing opportunities for them to play games to review new topics, and further their learning. Each time we have an upcoming quiz, a Quizlet, Blooket, Word Wall, and Kahoot are made as forms of review. I’ll also provide them with study guides, but they will always choose a game over multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, or matching. As I’m very familiar with these platforms, I want to branch out to see the benefits of using games and how other games are supporting students learning, especially with literacy, without being specifically created for that purpose. For example, my 6th graders love games such as Roblox and Fortnite. I am curious to see how they can incorporate or pull literacy practices into or from those games. Learning more on this topic can assist my instruction by engaging my students with topics related to their interests that also make learning fun and accessible to all.  

 

Annotated Bibliography 

Cook, M. P., Gremo, M., & Morgan, R. (2017). We’re Just Playing: The Influence of a Modified Tabletop Role-Playing Game on ELA Students’ In-Class Reading. Simulation & Gaming, 48(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878116684570 

This article explored how students from a middle school ELA classroom use games and role-playing to engage in literacy practices. They based this off a reading, “The Most Dangerous Game”, focusing on observing students use of literature and collaboration while making game decisions. The study uses qualitative research from the two classrooms observed. This article is useful to show a positive approach for a hands-on, non-digital gaming experience that highlights engaging students in literacy skills. 

Kim, G. M., Johnson, L. L., & Nash, B. (2023). Research: Games to Promote Empathy as a Literacy Practice: A New Teacher’s Playful Practice. English Education, 56(1), 20–43. https://doi.org/10.58680/ee202356120       

This article focuses on an English Language Arts teacher who created a card game to promote empathy in a middle school classroom. Besides researching the use of games to promote social-emotional learning, the article looks at the overall idea of incorporating games into classrooms that align with curriculum. The game includes literacy practices such as learning vocabulary and analyzing social situations written on the cards. This article is a helpful source for a real-life example of how gaming can support learning specifically in an ELA classroom. 

Scholes, L., Rowe, L., Mills, K. A., Gutierrez, A., & Pink, E. (2024). Video gaming and digital competence among elementary school students. Learning, Media and Technology, 49(2), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2156537 

This article focuses on elementary aged students' digital competence to gain digital skills, and the factors that may influence the accessibility of accessing those skills. It examines students' gender and socioeconomic status and declares that boys who are part of the low socioeconomic group gain more from gaming and digital skills. This article is useful to show the possible tensions and equity issues of implementing gaming and game-based learning in classrooms.  

Toh, W., & Kirschner, D. (2020). Self-directed learning in video games, affordances and pedagogical implications for teaching and learning. Computers and Education, 154, Article 103912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103912 

This article discusses how video games can be used to promote game-based, independent, self-directed learning. It outlines three categories: meta-behavior, metacognition, and meta-emotion. Each category has its own set of self-directed learning strategies. This article supports the importance of students' development through game-based learning, how games can assist self-directed learning strategies, and how educators can evaluate games’ pedagogical values.  

von Gillern, S., Olsen, A., Nash, B., & Stufft, C. (2024). An examination of teachers’ views on video games and learning: Establishing the Games and Literacy Education (GALE) scale. Computers and Education, 223, Article 105155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105155 

This article discusses the increasing popularity of using digital games as a way to engage students in their learning. It investigates the opinions and views on the implementation of digital game-based learning by educators in ELA classrooms. Teachers discuss the skepticism and positive views of DGBL. This article is useful in gathering research and information about various educator opinions on how gaming can support education, especially literacy, or if it can be more harmful than helpful. 

 

References 

 

Cook, M. P., Gremo, M., & Morgan, R. (2017). We’re Just Playing: The Influence of a Modified Tabletop Role-Playing Game on ELA Students’ In-Class Reading. Simulation & Gaming, 48(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046878116684570 

Kim, G. M., Johnson, L. L., & Nash, B. (2023). Research: Games to Promote Empathy as a Literacy Practice: A New Teacher’s Playful Practice. English Education, 56(1), 20–43. https://doi.org/10.58680/ee202356120 

Scholes, L., Rowe, L., Mills, K. A., Gutierrez, A., & Pink, E. (2024). Video gaming and digital competence among elementary school students. Learning, Media and Technology, 49(2), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2156537 

Toh, W., & Kirschner, D. (2020). Self-directed learning in video games, affordances and pedagogical implications for teaching and learning. Computers and Education, 154, Article 103912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103912 

von Gillern, S., Olsen, A., Nash, B., & Stufft, C. (2024). An examination of teachers’ views on video games and learning: Establishing the Games and Literacy Education (GALE) scale. Computers and Education, 223, Article 105155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105155