Video game literacy through design

by Lisa Nash

Introduction

Our students are surrounded by information and communication messages in an audio visual world, where the lines of communication and persuasion are blurred between fact and reality. They access information across digital and print, and via social media, videos, games and other modes of information. For our students to be media literate they need to understand how artefacts like games are constructed, why and for whom, the systems, the ludic or play features of games and the design (Zimmerman, 2009, p. 24).  Surrounding this is the understanding of the operational, cultural and critical dimension of literacy within this medium (Green 1997 as cited in Sanford & Madill, 2007, p.437).

Van Eck (2006, p. 20) identifies the three main approaches teachers are taking in initiating an integration of games based learning.  The first two involve teachers using either commercial off the shelf (COTS) games, or educationally designed games in their classroom. The third approach is via implementing a program where students construct their own games.

This work will draw on the third approach, discussing and analysing research on how video game design can be an effective tool in video game literacy.  Specifically it will act as motivation for schools to explore how video game design supports deeper learning for the diverse range of learning needs of all students across the curriculum. An insight into the literacy and learning experiences of a student game maker will be provided to support this. Game creation tools and their features for this purpose will be explored and identified. Video game design for the purpose of this discussion is defined as covering the design and creation of video or digital games for publication, sharing and use.

What is video game literacy?

Gee (2003) first raised the term “video game literacy” (as cited in Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 2), arguing the need to consider literacy as a multiplicity of literacies (2003, p. 14) that lies beyond print.  Indeed, today we talk about a range of literacies that form that multiliteracy: including transliteracy, media literacy, digital literacy, visual literacy, information literacy and cultural literacy.

Researchers argue that video game literacy should be seen separately from media literacy (Zimmerman, 2009, p. 24) as a literacy in its own right due to its immersive, non-linear nature.  Specifically too, as making meaning for learning is intertwined with having a player control and navigate the game.  That is, a game does not exist without players (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 4), and the learning that happens is an intersection of the experience designed by the game designer and the intentions of the player (Steinkuehler, 2012, p 247).  Zimmerman outlines these intersections as gaming literacy through systems, play and design (2009, p. 24).

Additionally video game literacy is part of a cultural new space (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 5), that is immersive and highly graphical (Squire, DeVane & Durga, 2008 p. 241) and meshes computational, geographical, social and identity features. They often embed or provide synchronous and asynchronous communication and networks and communities of practice for sharing and learning (Kafai, 2015, p. 314).

Underlying this definition of literacy is that literacy is embedded within social practices and students need to understand the conventions of those social practices and cultural contexts (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 3).  We learn in popular social spaces (Squire, DeVane & Durga, 2008, p. 241) and the game space is one of those spaces.

Why do our students need video game literacy through design?

Education is becoming more aware of how games based learning is a required literacy practice to encourage a range of critical problem solving and creative thinking skills (Sanford & Madill, 2007, p. 437) for the future.

If we understand literacy as being able to operate in the many spaces in our world then our students need to be able to learn operationally, culturally and critically in those spaces (Sanford & Madill, 2007, p 435) to be fully digitally literate.  They need to understand and be able to work with the critical facets of video game design so that they can raise “critical questions”  (p. 438) about these forms of multimodal texts.  Without these skills, students may not be aware of how to “notice and critique the social values and assumptions in a game” (p. 449). Delwiche agrees, offering that a literate gamer needs to understand that “video games messages are constructed and that these messages construct their own immersive realities” (2009, p. 179).

An integral part of our learning is our identity in that learning (Beavis, 2014, p. 570).  By designing games, students explore different ways of expressing themselves (Ejsing-Dunn & Karoff, 2015, p. 173). This forms part of their digital identity and informs their digital literacy as they have ownership of the form, design and nature of their game (p. 172). Bourgonjon argues that video games provide us with the social practices, spaces and identity formation opportunities to help us “become informed and critical” (2014, p.4).

Additionally students develop information fluency as part of game fluency (Squire, DeVane & Durga, 2008, p. 246) as they experiment with creating a game around the objective and content needed for their game design.  As they are engaged in a process of inquiry of making a game that others will play, they independently start to develop questions and investigate information required for their game and then apply that new knowledge in the building of their game (Stripling, 2007, p. 26).

Students’ ability to critically understand and make meaning of content is improved by their ability to engage in making that content because of the deep immersion in understanding and connecting with the information and process of creating the artefact (Gee, 2003, p.15).

Understanding the characteristics of designing games for video literacy

Kafai (2015) notes that much of the research on games based learning has focused more on the educational benefits and practices around playing of games rather than the practice of “constructionist gaming”  (p. 327).   However Bourgonjon (2014, p. 6) and Sanford & Madill (2007, p. 437) suggest that we can understand the affordances of game design for video literacy through Green’s three dimensional framework of operational, critical and cultural literacy (1997 as cited in Sanford & Madill, 2007, p. 437).

In terms of operational literacy, this is students’ understanding the system of semiotic language within the medium of the game.  A game has certain “codes and conventions” (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 6) that are followed.  Operational literacy of a print text requires reading and writing and similarly the operational literacy around video games requires an involvement in design and construction to fully understand the language, codes and conventions involved.

Operationally, by designing games, students not only gain knowledge and skills from the construction of a game using programming language but also an understanding of the ludic mechanics of a game that will motivate people to play and enjoy their game (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 6).  Students design the flow of the game, the feedback mechancis and the integration of content within the conventions of the game structure (Sanford & Madill, 2007, p. 441).

Culturally, video game design provides students with the opportunity to understand that literacy is part of a social and cultural practice, and video games are no different.  They are an extension of our cultural and social identities.  Ejsing-Dunn & Karoff (2015) offers that by producing games students “have new ways of expressing their experiences” (p. 173). They have rules like in other social spaces and participants need to understand and navigate those rules (Zimmerman, 2009, p. 28).  Thus students start to understand that the design and ludic features of their game is for a particular audience that may have specific social and cultural contexts (Zimmerman p. 29).

Critically students need to understand the basis of video games, where they come from, who has created them and for what purpose. Sanford & Madill (2007, p. 449) argues that playing of games does not generally provide students with the metacognitive reflection of the “social values and assumptions in a game” compared with the active learning that creating a game can do.

Exploring how design of games can deepen learning

Game play can provide important learning opportunities for students, however a game design approach provides a “student-centered constructivist-approach” (Navarrete, 2013, p. 320) that supports deeper learning.

By creating a game, students are able to creatively design a virtual game space that they can authentically publish so other people can play  (Navarrete, 2013, p. 321).  Thus students are being given opportunities to think creatively and critically (p. 320) and to problem solve for an end product for a real audience.  This is underlined by Gee (Josep Ramon Badia Albanell, 2013) who sees games based learning as empowering learning, through problem based solving and deep understanding.

Designing games offers students authentic participation in games based learning and empowers them in their learning in current and future digital worlds.  In a study by Weitze, (2016) students who designed learning games gained deeper learning from the creation process and the metacognition required around the game structure. Weitze argues that being game designers makes students more active learners (p. 756).

Students having agency and choice of how their game connects with the content or outcomes may be more active learners, as they are more motivated. Habgood & Ainsworth (2011, p. 170), argue that intrinsic motivation needs to be embedded in game based learning for learning to happen.  Design gives students a personal investment (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 7) in the process and the final product.  They also become part of the new cultural space  (p. 7) and the groups in that space and learn how to navigate operationally, culturally, socially and critically within that space.  Students are creating a virtual world where they can emulate their own lives, identity, and knowledge and gain understanding of the real world through this constructed space.

Students who design games are often utilising a range of informal and formal communities of practice as they share, copy, build upon and seek answers to solve problems. Steinkuehler (2012, p. 156) argues that identity and thus agency is formed through this participation in communities of practice.

For the purposes of this research, this author through her work in Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta schools interviewed a game-making student.  Cooper is a Year 6 student at St Michael’s Baulkham Hills who designs games using Unity.  Unity is a game engine platform that provides people with the tools for developing their own video games.

Cooper displayed a number of the characteristics supported by the research.  Cooper is intrinsically motivated  (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011) to learn.  Firstly, because he is doing something he is interested in and secondly because he has agency about how, what, where and for whom he creates his games.  To gain help in designing and problem solving for his game creations he utilises an informal learning network through the Unity website and a website tutorial YouTuber called Brackeys as well as other trusted people and experts.

Cooper through his game making has gained an understanding of designing for an audience, game mechanics, and programming.  Additionally, he has developed creative and critical thinking and problem solving skills through his iterative design process, game construction and access to an informal community of resources and experts. As discussed by Navarrete (2013, p. 320), Cooper’s discussion of various aspects like assets and copyright learnt through creating and publishing his games, demonstrates his growing digital literacy knowledge.  His understanding of scripting demonstrates his computational and coding knowledge, another part of the digital literacy that students require today.

How video game design works in the classroom and supports inclusiveness

Teachers struggle with the integration of games in the classroom. Even if they can locate a well designed commercial off the shelf (COTS) game or an educationally designed game it is often difficult to integrate curriculum content and/or outcomes within them (Habgood & Ainsworth, 2011, p. 172).

Learning through game design provides the link between digital culture, gameplay and identity (Beavis et al., 2014, p. 569) that engage and motivate students for deep learning.  Students create a game as their artefact of knowledge around outcomes and content (Kafai, 2015, p. 320) which builds upon understanding of the mechanics of games, the ludic nature of gameplay and the narrative and design involved.  This overcomes the “so-called transfer problem” (Brom, Šisler, & Slavík, 2010, p. 23), that is, the connections that students may or may not make to learning outcomes when playing games. Instead, through design, students are inherently learning about the content and achieving the outcomes.  Thus supporting the “situated cognition, experiential learning, discovery learning and constructivist based learning” pedagogical models that Arnab et al. (2012, p. 161) says is needed in games based learning.

Another benefit of game design is that the student can choose to create all the features of the game using their view of the world and utilising their best skills.  A game to play chosen by the teacher may not be relevant or accessible to all student’s skills, prior knowledge or interests (Beavis et al., 2014, p. 576).  Thus immediately demotivating and disengaging the student in the learning process.  When creating a game, students can choose from a range of game genres.  From adventure to role-playing, to simulation or action, to trivia or puzzle, to narrative or strategy (Van Eck, 2006, p. 22).

Becker (2011) out lines concerns about some gameplay as inherently including gender biases.  A list of suggested characteristics to ameliorate this all can be found inherently through utilising game design with students (p. 86). By engaging students with game design, students can choose games styles that suit them.   “Diverse play style preferences” (p. 86) are accommodated via student’s creative and personal choice of game design.  Game design accommodates differentiation and is more inclusive of the interest, needs and prior knowledge of students as well as their gender, socio-economic and cultural background (Beavis et al., 2014, p. 570).

Game creation tools teacher can use to support this pedagogy

Teachers can introduce game design and construction through a range of options depending on their own and their students’ skills and expertise.  Programming skills are not necessarily needed (Bourgonjon, 2014, p. 7).

In terms of supporting curriculum outcomes, teachers need to assess what sort of learning outcomes they want to occur through game design and this may change depending on the pedagogical model they use and the knowledge skills and attitudes they have towards games (Hanghøj, 2013, p. 91).  Teachers can explore the ways that game design can be integrated and assessed against outcomes by experimenting themselves and allowing students to take control of their learning through design creation.  Hodgson (Kevin Hodgson, 2012) has documented their schools exploration of game design in the classroom in the following series of videos, which would be a useful starting point for teachers to think about video game design in the classroom.

Schools can also be supported by connecting with global communities of practice such as Game Jams, which offer games-based construction learning opportunities (GBCL) (Ford, & Kelly, 2016).

There is also a huge array of platforms and tools across the gamut of device operating systems that teachers can utilise to introduce game design in their classroom with many of them providing built in tutorials and communities of practice.  An annotated list of a selection can be found in Appendix A.

Conclusion

By having students design games we are moving them towards the constructivism model of discovery and learning by doing.  The design component of games based learning provides the key to making meaning (Zimmerman, 2009, p. 28). Students design to create meaning and also gain an understanding of how others have made meaning of their work.  Learning results from a reflective understanding of how their game design operates in a social cultural space (p. 28).

By utilising a game through design approach we are also providing a better opportunity for teachers to understand gaming and bring that into their classrooms (Hanghøj, T. (2013).  Ultimately, we are providing students with the necessary skills to be literate in today’s audio-visual digital world and in the literacy spaces that students already inhabit.

Appendix:

Appendix A: Selected list of game creation platforms and tools

References:

Arnab, S., Berta, R., Earp, J., De Freitas, S., Popescu, M., Romero, M., … & Usart, M. (2012). Framing the adoption of serious games in formal education. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 10(2), 159-171. Retrieved from:  http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ985419.pdf

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LEX Parramatta. (2017, May 24). Game makers – connected learners. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAdmppn0mwA&feature=youtu.be

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Squire, K., DeVane, B., & Durga, S. (2008). Designing centers of expertise for academic learning through video games. Theory Into Practice, 47(3), 240–251. doi:10.1080/00405840802153973

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