Motivation and computer game based learning

Abstract

It is commonly assumed in the research literature that computer games are a useful educational tool because students find them motivating. This paper questions this assumption and describes a study that was undertaken to examine the motivational potential of using computer game-based learning with students in Higher Education. A series of twelve in-depth interviews were carried out to explore individuals’ perceptions of, and motivations for, game-playing for leisure and study. These interviews were followed by a larger-scale survey, examining student motivations to play games and to learn with games; data from 200 students were collected and analysed.

The results of this study indicate that a large proportion of the students who took part in the study do not find games motivational at all, and that there is no evidence of a relationship between an individual’s motivation to play games recreationally and his or her motivation to use games for learning. These findings indicate that employing games for their motivational benefits alone is not justification for their use. However, certain computer games may provide other pedagogical benefits and there is evidence from the study that while individuals may not find games intrinsically motivational, they may be motivated to use them for learning if they are perceived as the most effective way to learn.