RESUMO
According to educational gaming advocates, the engaging nature of games encourages sustained game play and enhanced attention to learning outcomes among players. Because children's and adolescents' play time varies by game genre, engagement with a game likely reflects the match between the genre and the player's preferences and needs. Youth learn which games are likely to promote satisfying psychological needs and yield positive experiences, which then informs their engagement with the games. A model is presented for research and development of educational games based on uses and gratifications theory from communication science, as well as developmental science and cognitive science findings.
Assuntos
Desenvolvimento do Adolescente , Desenvolvimento Infantil , Aprendizagem , Instruções Programadas como Assunto , Jogos de Vídeo/psicologia , Adolescente , Pesquisa Comportamental , Criança , Comunicação , Humanos , Modelos Educacionais , Avaliação das Necessidades , Satisfação Pessoal , Jogos e Brinquedos , Percepção Social , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
As the movement to capitalize on unique affordances of video games for learning continues to grow, relatively little research in that area has examined how formal features, such as genre and game mechanics, draw and hold children's attention. This study examines which genres children prefer and the reasons why children prefer those genres by reporting on a video game uses and gratifications survey of children of various ages (n=685). Results show distinct patterns of game use and preference tied to typical child developmental ecology at each age, indicating that genre preference varies by age and developmental context. Implications for game research and educational gaming are provided.