Navigating the Double-Edged Sword: A Meta-analysis of the Effect of Digital Games on 21st Century Skills

Abstract

Digital games are a double-edged sword; while they may pose potential negative effects for players, they are also recognized as valuable tools for fostering 21st century skills. Although 21st century skills have been widely promoted, this is the first meta-analysis to examine the effect of digital games on players’ 21st century skills, specifically focusing on all 4C skills: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. Drawing on 50 effect sizes from 37 publications, the results indicate: (a) digital games have a positive, medium overall effect on 21st century skills (g = 0.55); (b) digital games have a large effect on critical thinking (g = 0.85), a medium effect on communication (g = 0.77), and small effects on collaboration (g = 0.41) and creativity (g = 0.37); (c) moderator analysis has identified factors including targeted disciplines, game type, online status, experimental design, sample size, grade level, and type of control group as moderators of the effect of digital games on 21st century skills. This study highlights the importance of integrating digital games into education, suggesting that game design should prioritize critical thinking and communication as key objectives, while also incorporating activities that promote collaboration and creativity. It further underscores the urgent need for a unified scale to assess 21st century skills.