A recent intervention, the Step it UP! game (Galbraith & Normand, 2017), consists of an interdependent group contingency to increase student physical activity. In addition, previous research demonstrated that adult interaction may reinforce physical activity (Larson et al., 2014). We extended research on the Step it UP! game by comparing the…

Invasive species threaten worldwide biodiversity. Success in facing this problem may be possible through the engagement of younger audiences. Here, a game was designed to teach children how to recognize invasive seaweed and to encourage them to participate in marine citizen science. The game was first tested in a pilot study, and then carried out…

This study explores situated practices of game design critique in a Swedish 4th grade classroom. The analyses are based on video recordings of peer feedback activities within the context of a project on computational thinking using the software "Scratch." Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the interactional and…

Our online programming language courses have been developed for youngsters who are interested in computer programming. The courses were gamified with some common gamification elements: points, badges, incentives, immediate feedback and leaderboard. The developed Learning Management System (LMS) for our learning portal provides the chance to…

Game-based learning (GBL) has increasingly been used to promote students' learning engagement. Although prior GBL studies have highlighted the significance of learning engagement as a mediator of students' meaningful learning, the existing accounts failed to capture specific evidence of how exactly students' in-game actions in GBL enhance learning…

This article describes the development and deployment of Physics Toolbox Play, a gamified component of the "Android Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite" app, that can introduce young children through adults to fundamental physics principles. The app was used successfully in a variety of contexts, including STEM fairs with primary and secondary…

Digital escape rooms can transform any lesson into an engaging learning environment. This article describes the implementation of a digital escape room in an undergraduate educational technology course for preservice teachers. The digital escape room was designed and developed using a 10-step process and covered the topic of gamification.…

Educational games provide learners with team-based, experiential, and problem-centered learning opportunities. Therefore, educational games are recommended to encourage learner success in an increasingly complex and collaborative world. Research exploring interventions to increase teacher affinity toward games is needed to inform expansion of…

The literature reflects a shortage of empirical research on educational game design. This paper presents the results from a randomized controlled study on the impact of narrative and digital badging on learning and engagement in an educational game that teaches basic brain structure and function to undergraduate psychology students. Participants…

In this article, the author describes an exam review activity in which students answered questions and solved puzzles in order to escape the review session. In a general psychology (100-level) course and research methods in psychology (300-level) course, students solved a series of puzzles and review questions. This format is similar to popular…

This mixed-methods study examines two moderators of the impact of the Good Behavior Game--implementation variability, participant risk status, and the interaction between them--as predictors of behavioral and academic outcomes. Quantitative data from 38 primary schools were utilized, with outcome data collected at baseline and 2-year follow-up.…

Studies of education practices in science centers have found variation in how conceptual learning is supported, or scaffolded, on school field trips. This paper investigates the implications of scaffolding variations for how students make sense of a game-based exhibit that was designed to trigger interest and develop knowledge of scientific…

This article describes "Dark Ride: Disneyland" - a mobile game that encourages Disneyland guests to critically consider Disney's representations of history, culture, and technology. The game was the creation of a group of faculty, students and professionals associated with Brigham Young University. The article contextualizes the game and…

This article investigates the perception of students in the first year of high school in relation to their own body language, while mathematically they conjecture a way to improve their performance in an electronic bowling game, which uses body sensors for own actions of the game. Interactions were performed by a group of four students from a…

The abstract nature of quantum mechanics makes it difficult to visualize. This is one of the reasons it is taught in the language of mathematics. Without an opportunity to directly observe or interact with quantum phenomena, students struggle to develop conceptual understandings of its theories and formulas. In this paper we present the process of…