This doctoral research aimed to investigate how subject matter experts (SMEs) and game experts can collaborate to design and develop games for use in formal educational contexts. The research began with a literature review of key concepts and issues associated with game-based learning (GBL), which led to the process of defining and redefining the overarching research question, along with its scope and position in academia. A three-phase strategy was adopted to segregate the research into exploratory, confirmative and explanatory phases, wherein each phase comprised interrelated studies. These studies were integrated through the Spiral Research model to enable temporal focus shift, cross-case analyses and cross-case syntheses. In the exploratory studies, the perceived potentials of games and GBL in the formal educational context were examined revealing the differing views between SMEs and game experts. This in turn guided the conduct of the confirmative studies which compared the attitude of SMEs and game experts in both the 'usual' and the 'ideal' conditions towards GBL practice and collaboration that involves teachers, SMEs and educational game experts. Two questionnaire surveys were carried out, and the findings revealed that, under ideal conditions, both SMEs and game experts held positive attitudes to GBL—the games used, the teachers who use games in teaching, the studios that develop educational games, and the collaboration between SMEs and game experts. However, the respondents were uncertain whether the perceived 'ideal' GBL conditions were usually the case or not. Follow-up interviews were conducted in the explanatory phase in order to uncover the reasons behind these changes in attitudes. While a variety of reasons were found and presented as parts of the findings of the research, particularly the challenges faced in GBL practice and the problems encountered in GBL collaboration, this thesis asserts that effective communication between SMEs and game experts is the key success factor in resolving issues associated with GBL. Besides, there was a pressing need for models of GBL collaboration; hence the integrated GBL model was also developed. The model not only incorporates GBL practice into GBL collaboration, but also highlights the importance of effective communication in those processes. Despite being limited by methodological constraints and available resources, both the Spiral Research model and the integrated GBL collaboration model have made substantial contributions to the research into GBL, particularly for formal educational contexts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:536281 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Tan, Wee Hoe |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/35620/ |
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