Designing an intervention that can effectively develop critical thinking skills is challenging because of the problems of transfer and domain specificity. The authors describe the design and development of a text-based game that could teach players important critical thinking skills in the domain of history. This was achieved by combining Schon's…

Building on the original work of Bunker and Thorpe and their Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach to physical education, there is now a proliferation of Game Based Approaches (GBA) in the research literature (Bunker & Thorpe, 1982, A model for the teaching of games in secondary schools. "Bulletin of Physical Education,"…

Language delay impacts children's social development. Game-based teaching has shown promise in enhancing language skills, however, the effectiveness of digital game-based teaching for children with language delay remains underexplored. This study, focusing on Chinese kindergarten students, investigated the impact of digital game-based teaching…

Longitudinal studies on mainstream children and training studies in the dyslexic population suggest that visual attention span (VAS) abilities contribute to reading acquisition. We evaluated to what extent VAS training in beginning readers might enhance later literacy skills. A large cohort of 453 children was followed from the beginning to the…

There is increasing interest in the use of games to scaffold social skills training for autistic children and youth. However, there is no consensus on how to best approach their design, so that learning opportunities are maximised. This article presents a systematic scoping review of empirical studies that use games as social skills training for…

This meta-analysis examines the effects of game-based learning (GBL), compared with traditional instructional methods, on the science achievement of students, ranging from primary school to university. Results from the 41 primary studies of 6256 participants showed heterogeneity among effect sizes. The random effects model results showed a…

Background: Digital game-based learning is gaining increased attention from both researchers and educators for improving mathematics instruction. However, the evidence for game-based learning is mixed and research with rigorous research design and analyses are limited. Objective: Here, in a pre-registered randomized controlled study, we…

To date, few online game-based learning studies have focused on developing children's growth creativity mindset (growth CM). This study, therefore, aimed to develop a game-based learning system to help children develop their growth CM. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between growth CM, hope belief, and creativity self-efficacy after…

We explored the challenges, limitations, and potential effectiveness of a large-scale computerized working memory and numeracy intervention in the classroom with children at risk of mathematical learning disabilities (n = 428, M[subscript age] = 83.85 months, 41% female). Children were assigned to four different treatment protocols (working memory…

English writing and critical thinking are not only fundamental to academic success but also play a crucial role for the holistic development of primary students. This study investigated the effects of a cloud-based gamified instruction integrating peer assessment on primary student English writing and critical thinking. A pre- and post-test with a…

Literacy influences all aspects of life. Unfortunately, a rising number of students struggle with reading and spelling, which can result in enormous educational barriers. Difficulties in literacy accompanied by learning-related problem behavior can create additional risk factors. Effective interventions for these students should consider…

Background: Game-based science learning (GBSL) provide an alternative route for learning genetics, but its effects on students' conceptual learning is contested. In this paper we assess the utility, in primary teacher education, of Recal - a game designed to promote participants' learning of key genetic concepts through acting as detectives…

This study evaluates the implementation of a collaborative/game-based learning strategy on final year B.Sc. students focused on reinforcing the Taylor theorem (a mathematical concept previously learned, usually forgotten over time and widely used in chemical engineering) and analyses its effect on their academic performance. To this end, the…

Gamification is an educational strategy that makes learning fun and keeps students interested in learning, which helps them learn more and grow their knowledge. However, given its growing popularity, it is necessary to review empirical studies regarding gamification in education as an intervention for an effective teaching and learning process.…

Background: Prior work has shown that middle school students struggle with algebra and that game-based educational technologies, such as DragonBox and From Here to There!, are effective at improving students' algebraic performance. However, it remains unclear which aspects of algebraic knowledge shift as a result of playing these games and what…