Browsing by Subject "Game-based learning"
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    The Oxymoron of Serious Games in eLearning: Gender Differences from an Internet-based Survey in Thailand
    ( 2017-04) Poonsri Vate-U-Lan
    This research study examined gender attitudes towards playing serous games in eLearning contexts as there is a lack of comprehensive reports and academic commentary on how to apply and link serious games effectively to learning. The results were based on a large scale Internet-based survey, which involved 803 participants drawn from every region in Thailand. Sixtyone per cent of participants were females (61.2%) and the majority of them were teenagers and adult (36.8% and 24.1% respectively). The survey sought information on participants’ attitudes and behaviours related to their computer game preferences, game-playing habits and their attitudes to playing computer games. A 5-point Likert scale in comparing the two gender groups was used. The study addressed its core research question: what are the attitudes and behaviours of each gender group towards playing educational computer games? Sub questions were asked complementing the overall question and are elaborated upon in the text. The research results showed that participants chose both virtual game activity on the computer and actual activity in reality as their favourite activity on an equal basis (39.8%). The actual activity was slightly preferred rather than the virtual game (29.2% and 24.6% respectively). Almost half the participants chose only an entertaining computer game while a minority preferred to play educational computer games (49.2% and 15.1% respectively). Actually playing computer games generated both high levels of positive engagement and anxiety that were blended responses - as opposed to being separate. Computer games are played for their relaxation but increasing risks of eyestrain featured in this research. The research findings confirmed that females thought differently about playing computer games to their male counterparts.
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    Oxymoron of serious games in eLearning: gender differences from an internet-based survey in Thailand
    ( 2017) Poonsri Vate-U-Lan
    This research study examined gender attitudes towards playing serous games in eLearning contexts as there is a lack of comprehensive reports and academic commentary on how to apply and link serious games effectively to learning. The results were based on a large scale Internet-based survey, which involved 803 participants drawn from every region in Thailand. Sixtyone per cent of participants were females (61.2%) and the majority of them were teenagers and adult (36.8% and 24.1% respectively). The survey sought information on participants’ attitudes and behaviours related to their computer game preferences, game-playing habits and their attitudes to playing computer games. A 5-point Likert scale in comparing the two gender groups was used. The study addressed its core research question: what are the attitudes and behaviours of each gender group towards playing educational computer games? Sub questions were asked complementing the overall question and are elaborated upon in the text. The research results showed that participants chose both virtual game activity on the computer and actual activity in reality as their favourite activity on an equal basis (39.8%). The actual activity was slightly preferred rather than the virtual game (29.2% and 24.6% respectively). Almost half the participants chose only an entertaining computer game while a minority preferred to play educational computer games (49.2% and 15.1% respectively). Actually playing computer games generated both high levels of positive engagement and anxiety that were blended responses - as opposed to being separate. Computer games are played for their relaxation but increasing risks of eyestrain featured in this research. The research findings confirmed that females thought differently about playing computer games to their male counterparts.
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    Transforming Classrooms through Game-Based Learning: A Feasibility Study in a Developing Country
    (International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2015) Poonsri Vate-U-Lan
    This article reports an exploratory study which investigated attitudes towards the practice of game-based learning in teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) within a Thai educational context. This self-administered Internet-based survey yielded 169 responses from a snowball sampling tech- nique. Three fifths of respondents were female (59.2% or N=100 females and 40.8% or N=69 males). Slightly more than half (55.6%) of the participants were elementary, secondary and university students. An additional second group of thirty-five per cent (N=59) were teachers who were in charge of STEM educational programs. Almost one tenth (9.5%, N=16) were parents. Frequency tables were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data was derived from a single open-ended question. The study found some divergent opinions that are useful in considering game-based learning for STEM education in Thailand. The overall average attitude towards the usage of game-based learning was very positive (3.92 out of 5, S.D. = 0.80). The study found that the majority of informants preferred that the delivery mode was online through a web browser followed by the mobile mode through an application and the least preferred was the offline mode recorded on CD-ROM (55.0%, 31.4% and 13.6% respectively). Thai was still the most preferred language to be used though both students and parents surveyed had a stronger preference for English and a Thai-English bilingual mode than the teachers. An important finding in this research was that stakeholders expected game-based learning to be integrated into the traditional classroom because of its enhanced learning approach.