Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation
Educational functions of digital games are often seen only in the light of the serious and purposeful activities that aim for learning outcomes, in contrast with non-educational games that are designed for entertainment. The focus of this paper is in studying players’ learning outcomes from playing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176773/full |
| _version_ | 1827935964732850176 |
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| author | Jukka Vahlo Tanja Välisalo Kai Tuuri Kai Tuuri |
| author_facet | Jukka Vahlo Tanja Välisalo Kai Tuuri Kai Tuuri |
| author_sort | Jukka Vahlo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Educational functions of digital games are often seen only in the light of the serious and purposeful activities that aim for learning outcomes, in contrast with non-educational games that are designed for entertainment. The focus of this paper is in studying players’ learning outcomes from playing non-educational games, and how these relate to wellbeing outcomes of playing, and gaming motivation. The data for this study was collected via a survey (N = 1,202) in the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey respondents answered the question regarding what players perceive they have learnt by playing digital games. A generic data-driven qualitative content analysis of the responses to this question yielded 11 categories representing different types of game-based learning outcomes. A consequent cluster analysis suggested three groups of informal game-based learning, which differed in their emphasis on (1) learning persistence, (2) learning practices and community, and (3) learning to perform. Our analyses indicated substantial connections between the learning outcomes and gameplay motives and gameplay activity preferences. Such connections point out how gameplay activity has an inherently close relationship with learning. Moreover, the results yielded significant association between learning outcomes, wellbeing measures, and eudaimonic motives to play digital games. These results indicate that playing games because gaming is aligned with players’ core values and need for self-realization are clear precedents for both wellbeing and learning outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:02:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba44fa5c575c4eea897306ac003889ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T08:02:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba44fa5c575c4eea897306ac003889ec2023-06-01T10:43:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-05-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11767731176773Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivationJukka Vahlo0Tanja Välisalo1Kai Tuuri2Kai Tuuri3Centre for Collaborative Research, School of Economics, University of Turku, Turku, FinlandDepartment of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandDepartment of Music, Art and Culture Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandFaculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandEducational functions of digital games are often seen only in the light of the serious and purposeful activities that aim for learning outcomes, in contrast with non-educational games that are designed for entertainment. The focus of this paper is in studying players’ learning outcomes from playing non-educational games, and how these relate to wellbeing outcomes of playing, and gaming motivation. The data for this study was collected via a survey (N = 1,202) in the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey respondents answered the question regarding what players perceive they have learnt by playing digital games. A generic data-driven qualitative content analysis of the responses to this question yielded 11 categories representing different types of game-based learning outcomes. A consequent cluster analysis suggested three groups of informal game-based learning, which differed in their emphasis on (1) learning persistence, (2) learning practices and community, and (3) learning to perform. Our analyses indicated substantial connections between the learning outcomes and gameplay motives and gameplay activity preferences. Such connections point out how gameplay activity has an inherently close relationship with learning. Moreover, the results yielded significant association between learning outcomes, wellbeing measures, and eudaimonic motives to play digital games. These results indicate that playing games because gaming is aligned with players’ core values and need for self-realization are clear precedents for both wellbeing and learning outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176773/fullinformal learningnon-educational gamesgameplay motivationwellbeing outcomesself-determination |
| spellingShingle | Jukka Vahlo Tanja Välisalo Kai Tuuri Kai Tuuri Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation Frontiers in Psychology informal learning non-educational games gameplay motivation wellbeing outcomes self-determination |
| title | Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| title_full | Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| title_fullStr | Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| title_short | Informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| title_sort | informal learning and wellbeing outcomes of gameplay and their associations with gameplay motivation |
| topic | informal learning non-educational games gameplay motivation wellbeing outcomes self-determination |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176773/full |
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