Exploring Relevance, Meaningfulness, and Perceived Learning in Entertainment Games

Abstract

The premise that “good” games embody sound pedagogy in their designs, even if incor- poration was not deliberate, suggests that commercial entertainment games may also hold surprising educational potential. However, there is limited research exploring the potential learning experiences that entertainment games can provide, as well as how such unintended experiences could influence players’ everyday lives. In this paper, we present an exploratory study surveying thirteen university students to understand their perceived learning experi- ences from entertainment games, how they applied these experiences to their lives, and why they believed the experiences were personally impactful. We found that participants be- lieved they learned (1) practical skills of collaboration and planning, and (2) a wide range of everyday knowledge and educational content. Additionally, we found all reported ex- periences were relevant and meaningful to players’ lives outside of the game. Lastly, we utilize findings to inform the design of games beyond entertainment, identifying potential areas for improved educational game design.