Video Games And Learning : A theoretical approach to the use of commercial-off-the-shelf video games in Norwegian upper secondary education

Abstract

This thesis explores the educational potential of commercial video games. With LK20, games and gaming have become integral part of Norwegian education, especially with a specific aim in the new English subject curriculum (ENG01-04) and with the broad definition of texts as cultural expressions. Due to the uncertainties surrounding the covid-19 pandemic, no original action-research was conducted. Therefore, this thesis offers a purely theoretical approach instead. It offers a literary analysis and discussion of a wide selection of theories and research regarding games and learning, followed by a theoretical exploration of how one commercial video game, namely Detroit: Become Human (2018)can be effectively utilized in learning contexts in Norwegian upper secondary education. Thus, the following two research questions are answered:(1) What does existing theories and research suggest one can learn from games and gaming in general, what are their potential learning effects? and (2) In light of existing theories and research, what can potentially be learnt by using Detroit: Become Human (DBH) in educational contexts, and how could various learning outcomes be achieved through its use? More specifically, the thesis explores the educational potential of video games to facilitate motivating, interactive, multimodal, and safe learning environments that enable exploration of identities through immersion and identification to foster deep learning and critical thinking.