“Why can't we always learn like this?” Games-based learning and the English language arts classroom: Lessons learned and practical applications

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) videogames in a high school curriculum through examining the influence that using COTS videogames has on transforming students' literacy learning in-school. However, it must be noted that transforming literacy in-school is about more than bridging in- and out-of-school literacies; it is about developing a deeper understanding of the meaning of literacy in today's multimediated world so that we can better grasp how to harness new learning styles and new ways of making meaning. To understand how to capture these uses of in- and out-of-school practices, we conducted a mixed research study of a high school reading intervention class that incorporated a COTS videogames curriculum. Twenty-seven students participated and were enrolled in the class. Data were analyzed using constant comparison, classical content analysis, and qualitative comparative analysis. Findings indicate that the games-based curriculum allow students to see the validity of their out-of-school literacies within school curriculum, as evidenced by their desire to connect their reading and writing with gaming and an increased desire to read and to write more at the end of the class than at the beginning.