Study of the Serious Games Capacity in Promoting Financial Literacy

Abstract

The accurate definition of financial literacy can be proposed by distinguishing it from economic literacy. Financial literacy does not essentially include economic literacy. Financial literacy is the subset and a part of economic literacy that is about being aware of financial value and purchase power of money regarding optimal consumption of financial power. In 2011, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defined financial literacy as the ability for informed judgment and effective decisions made for money management and use. In addition to financial literacy, videogames are defined as interactional products based on a set of accepted rules and limitations to achieve a goal in a challenging way. These games send feedback to the player’s behavior by giving a score or changing the game world to see what path they choose to reach the designed target. According to the abovementioned definition, serious games are defined as games with a more primary purpose other than entertaining the audience. Entertainment is only a value-added that improves the quality of practice, education, accuracy, and public policy, and goals of the communicational strategy. The lack of a precise and comprehensive definition of financial literacy, uncertainty about its importance, and undetermined proper instruments for its enhancement are among those problems that could be depicted as the problem and purpose of the present study. This study analyzed the existing resources through the thematic analysis method. Consequently, it should be stated that the games affect the learning process in two ways: the effect on cognition and motivation. The interactional nature of games is matched with the opinion of educational psychologists who introduce the active cognition process as an effective and consistent factor for learning. Serious games should receive more attention compared to other games. Researches have proved that serious games are effective information messengers that develop capabilities. In the core of capacities considered for serious games, the cognitive and motivational effects are substantial factors that occur in the critical thinking of the player.