GAF : from a conceptual framework to a Model of Learning in Educational Gaming

Abstract

There has been much debate in international literature on the effectiveness of educational games in student learning. In the field of Economics, there has been growing evidence that games are an effective teaching pedagogy in increasing motivation and the retention of knowledge. However, very little is written on ‘how’ and ‘why’ students learn from these Economics educational games. The Game Analysis Framework (GAF) was designed as a conceptual lens that would provide a method for mapping out ‘how’ and ‘why’ students learn from playing educational games. GAF was initially developed from three models of game design based on an experiential and constructivist theory of learning. However, from the results of the study, this model had to be revised as other factors such as motivation, engagement and emotions became the core drivers of learning. The study’s results such as emotions necessitated a revision of the GAF model to include these new findings, highlighting the importance of non-cognitive factors in learning and how games harness these factors to create a deliberative learning environment. It also causes one to perhaps move beyond the constructivist and experiential learning paradigms of learning by doing to learning by enacting knowledge – an enactivist approach.