Exploring Online Games as Educational Techniques
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/1efyve55Keywords:
Online Games, Game-based Learning, Student Engagement, Experiential Learning, Educational Technology, High School EducationAbstract
This study explores the use of online games in high school education, focusing on students’ experiences, perceived benefits, challenges, and strategies for effective integration. It further examines how online games contribute to students' learning development, particularly in terms of engagement and motivation. Using a qualitative-descriptive research design, the researchers collected data through semi-structured interviews with twelve high school students from Tianjin Eco-City Affiliated School of Beijing Normal University in China, all of whom possess extensive experience with online gaming. Thematic analysis was employed to examine students’ perspectives and identify recurring patterns in their responses. Findings reveal that online games enhance students’ engagement and learning motivation by transforming traditional lessons into interactive and enjoyable learning experiences. Students reported that game-based learning supports experiential and active learning, improves understanding of complex concepts, and develops essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and digital literacy. Moreover, online games were found to facilitate the application of theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts. However, several challenges were identified, including technical issues, limited access to devices, misalignment between game content and instructional objectives, classroom management concerns, and time constraints, particularly among senior students. The study further highlights that online games are most effective when used as supplementary tools for lesson introduction, practice, and review rather than as core instructional tools. Successful integration of games into teaching demands explicit teaching objectives, suitable game design, guided teacher support, and purpose-oriented control over game application. Overall, the study underscores the potential of online games to enrich teaching and learning when strategically implemented. The findings provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers in designing meaningful, engaging, balanced, and supportive game-based learning environments in high school settings.
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