INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY:

THEORIES AND PRACTICES (EDU711)

TERM PAPER
TOPIC: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIGITAL
GAME-BASED LEARNING
PREPARED BY: MIMI MARLINA BT. MOHD SANI (2015692806)
PREPARED FOR: AP. DR. IZAHAM SHAH ISMAIL

INTRODUCTION & THESIS

STATEMENT
Introduction

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) refers to the usage of the

entertaining power of digital games to serve an educational
purpose (Prensky, 2001).
DGBL contains two important elements: fun/entertainment and
an educational component.
Digital games, whether computer-, game console-, or handheldbased, are characterized by rules, goals & objectives, outcomes &
feedback, conflict/ competition/challenge/opposition, interaction,
and representation of story (Prenksy, 2001).

Thesis Statement

The rapid advances and growth in technology, computer games,

particularly serious games or educational games, have
demonstrated great potential for learning and instruction.

CONTENT

Fig. 1: Comparison of Traditional Training, Hands-on, and Game-based Learning

Integrating DGBL in the Classroom

Align game types with learning outcomes

Turn learning and knowledge into the clue

Apply proven effective instructional strategies to design the game

Guide the gamer to achieve goals

The game must be immersive

The game must be reliable

Advantages

Influence motivation and engagement of the learners in a positive

way
Offer a secure and contextual environment that foster different
skill acquisition

Increases a students memory capacity

Helps with fast strategic thinking & problem-solving

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

Conclusion

If we teach todays students as we taught yesterdays, we rob

them of tomorrow. (John Dewey ). Our students are texters,
gamers, creators, social networkers. They are Googlers,
YouTubers, Facebookers, emailers. Many of their lives revolve
around digital media. As educators, we cant ignore that. If we
want to engage and motivate them, we need to meet them in the
middle. We need to use the things that excite them outside of the
classroom
by
bringing
it
into
the
classroom.
Game-based learning can do that.

Recommendations

It would be interesting to investigate the long-term learning

effects and motivational impact of a game.
The impact of individual student characteristics (e.g. gender)
could also be studied.

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