Ackerman, Lyn K., What "World of Warcraft" is Teaching Us about Learning

Ackerman, Lyn K., What "World of Warcraft" is Teaching Us about Learning, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2017. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1953259484?pq-origsite=gscholar

This study’s purpose
was to explore and examine the popular massively multiplayer role playing game World of Warcraft as an informal learning environment by examining adolescent game perceptions and experiences...the research was guided by the questions, “How does the World of Warcraft MMORPG serve as a learning environment? What game components support learning? What are game players learning?” (p. iii).
What this study results showed was that World of Warcraft is “a learning environment that integrated learning theory, community, and game design to engage and motivate participants to achieve goals within a video game framework” (p. iii), and that based on participant responses, “participants were learning and practicing 21st century skills (critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and communication, and creativity and innovation)”(p. iii) while playing WoW. By looking deeper into the elements of WoW’s environment and interface like “agency, reinforcement and feedback, graphic user interface, and storytelling”(p.iii) helps the three main areas of learning theory that this study focused on: “social cognitive theory, community, and game design components”(p. iii). Additionally, the collaborative experiences were offered that transcended player differences that helped participants achieve common goals. “[WoW] was a great equalizer, turning a blind eye to stereotypes of real-world race, ability, and gender as participants practiced 21st century skills in a virtual world of possibilities.” (p. iii-iv).

This study was a mix of methodology. The participants in this study “consisted of nine students in grades 8 through 10 in Hawaii public and charter schools.” (p. iii). These 9 students played WoW on a daily basis, which mostly was leveling up and completing quests. The data came from the 9 participants writing “about game interactions at the end of each game period; explaining characters, events, and game choices.” (p. iii). There were also survey questions sent to participants that revolved around “demographics and perceptions of self-efficacy and self-regulation and use of 21st century skills in the game world”(p.iii).

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