Mobile Game-Based Learning

The use of video games to enhance learning has been the subject of fierce debate (Guillén-Nieto & Aleson-Carbonell, 2012). Nonetheless, experts have long strived to comprehend the draw of these games and their potential role in education. Thus, there is increasing interest in the application of video games in primary, secondary, and higher education; government; financial services; healthcare; hospitality; science and technology; telecommunications; and corporate and military training (Garris, Ahlers, & Driskell, 2002), to achieve a variety of learning outcomes (Kebritchi & Hirumi, 2008). To date, findings point to the instructional benefits of video games in the areas of computer science, geography, language, mathematics, photography, and science (DaCosta, Seok, & Kinsell, 2015). Advancements in mobile computing have helped pave the way for new video game research (DaCosta & Seok, 2017a, 2017b) in different areas of interest, to include social development, intellectual activities (Spikol & Milrad, 2008), and general learning (Facer et al., 2004; Rogers & Price, 2006). The anytime-, anywhere-, and onany-device characteristics of mobile technology are of particular importance because they offer new opportunities to research game-based learning (GBL) that is free from space and time restrictions (DaCosta et al., 2015). That is, mobile games have the potential to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world by placing students in authentic places and learning situations (Costabile et al., 2008). This has, in part, contributed to what is mounting research on what could be called mobile game-based learning (mGBL). This chapter offers a review of the literature on mGBL. Extending the work of DaCosta et al. (2015), the discussion includes (a) a definition of mGBL in the context of game-based learning; (b) a review of the educational benefits of mobile games, building on what is known about video games and learning; and (c) identification of mobile game examples (called out in the literature) that have been experimented with and/or used to explore learning. To ensure scholarly rigor, the research offered here was compiled in a staged approach similar to that of primary research (Cooper, 1998). The majority of the content comes from books, academic journals, and databases. While peer-reviewed materials were foremost, other resources were also used, including online articles, as supplemental information befitting their academic stature and to provide context regarding “practicing real world examples or an in-the-trenches view” (Kinsell, DaCosta, & Nasah, 2014, p. 161). Thus, this work presents the perspectives and findings of numerous scholars, practitioners, researchers, and experts in an effort to provide a well-rounded view of the educational possibilities of mobile games. Throughout the chapter the term video game refers to a game played on a personal computer Boaventura DaCosta Solers Research Group, USA