International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue IX, September 2022|ISSN 2454-6186
History Education Game and English Language Learning –Taking Today in History as an Example
Zhang Siyu, Wang Erning, Jing Lijuan, Xiao Kexin, Dong Zhihao
College of Foreign Studies, Hubei Normal University, China
Abstract: Based on the current situation of English education in China, this paper explores the positive effects of combining English and history educational games, so as to improve students’ overall quality and motivation to learn, and develop their intercultural communication skills, creative awareness and independent learning ability. The quantitative research approach is applied in this study. A survey is carried out and it is found that most people learn English and history through teacher-led lessons, short videos and instant messaging software, and are willing to try a game that combines English and History. Based on this, an attempt is made to introduce a history-based educational game–Today in History–with English as the main language.
Keywords: Educational Games; English Learning; Historical Knowledge
I. EDUCATIONAL GAMES
1.1 History of Educational Games
Since their introduction in 1952, video games have become the most popular form of entertainment, and if they can be integrated with education, it may be possible to achieve entertainment. As a result of this, scholars began to study the educational value of video games (Bo, 2021).
In developed countries, educational games have a very strong theoretical support (Huang, 2022). Daphne Bavelier, a professor at the University of Rochester in the USA, has demonstrated the educational value of video games in practice (Li, 2020). Quest Atlantis, designed and developed by Professor Sasha Barab, is a typical example of the integration of disciplinary learning based on games. It proved that building a game-based learning environment can help students to improve their academic performance and interest. In addition, the River City project at Harvard University, the Game-to-Teach project at MIT, and the EduVenture project at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have all demonstrated the feasibility of teaching and learning based on video games (Sun, 2021).
After the theoretical foundations were first modelled, the first educational games were created in the late 1980s and 1990s by Broderbund, The Learning Company, The Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, and many others. These games had an indelible impact on the generation of that time (Liu, 2020).