Academic Network Conference 07 (8)

Mobile Game Based Learning

Yesterday the millenials or digital natives were mentioned. Christina Handford is researching their relationship with digital technology. Sandra Schadenbauer of the FH Joanneum, a university of applied science in Graz, developed a a mobile location based game for them, called “Physics Geocaching”.

Her premise for developing such a LBG is that digital natives are used to the instantaneity of hypertext, downloaded music, phones in their pockets, library on their laptops, beamed messages and instant messaging. They’ve been networked most or all of their lives. They have little patience for lectures, step-by-step logic, and “tell-test” instruction.

Teachers must find a way to speak this new, digital language. They have to find new methods because today’s learners are different. They need to reconsider methodology and content. One way to adapting material to the language of Digital Natives is to create learning games. Such a mobile location based game is called “Physics Geocaching”. The game is created in a framework of special Moodle activity modules and is played with a mobile phone application, called “MoMo”. During the game, players have to find and solve tasks, which are hidden in the field.

To check the idea and usability of “Physics Geocaching”, the paper chase game was tested in practice with participants. The aim of the test was to find answers to the following questions:
• How are mobile phones used by young people?
• Which media are consumed by teenagers?
• How often do young people play games?
• Which kinds of games are popular?
• How important is social interaction in games?
• Do teenagers accept mobile learning games?
• Do the test subjects like the game and the story?
• Are the tasks difficult/easy? Do the aids help to solve the tasks?
• Does the framework support the game progress?
• Which technical problems can occur?
• Which potential improvement is possible?

Her conclusion was that learning with games works and students are motivated by games. Of course the part of the teacher and the right game determine the success of game based learning.

Blog Posting Number: 936

Tags: e-learning, location based gamee-learning, locationb based game