Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender

Virtual field trips in combination with digital game-based learning offer great potential for creating new learning environments, especially for geography education. Those approaches are not only needed to transfer knowledge but also to contribute to creating a more technologically literate society...

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Main Authors: Phillip Bengel, Carina Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: European Association of Geographers 2024-07-01
Series:European Journal of Geography
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/627
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author Phillip Bengel
Carina Peter
author_facet Phillip Bengel
Carina Peter
author_sort Phillip Bengel
collection DOAJ
description Virtual field trips in combination with digital game-based learning offer great potential for creating new learning environments, especially for geography education. Those approaches are not only needed to transfer knowledge but also to contribute to creating a more technologically literate society. For the future design of learning spaces and the corresponding professional development of teachers, it is indispensable to learn what the pedagogical advantages and limitations of fully virtual game-based approaches are. For this, it is necessary to know whether purely virtual concepts differ in knowledge transfer from those applied in technology-supported field trips on site. When it comes to promoting technological literacy, additional relevant questions are whether there are influences on participants’ attitudes toward modern technologies and whether there are implied gender effects in this regard. An empirical comparative study of a total of n=110 German high school students was conducted using a survey to answer these questions. Key results are that actual and virtual designs using technology-supported game-based learning approaches can be equally effective in knowledge transfer. Further certain technology-averse attitudes could be identified, which were more prevalent among females than males. This gender gap could be leveled out by the effects of the virtual game-based field trip. Across genders, the levels of aversion were reduced, as well, while affirmative attitudes toward modern technology rose. Highlights: • Combined DGBL-VFT approach effectively conveys subject-specific knowledge. • VFT fosters technological literacy via participants’ tech attitudes. • Gender gap closed by strong positive effects on females’ attitudes.
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spelling doaj-art-56d3c3fc4eb84f8dae3a4223ffc2deb82025-01-01T06:56:57ZengEuropean Association of GeographersEuropean Journal of Geography1792-13412410-74332024-07-0115210.48088/ejg.p.ben.15.2.120.134638Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and genderPhillip Bengel0Carina Peter1Independent Researcher, GermanyPhilipps University Marburg Virtual field trips in combination with digital game-based learning offer great potential for creating new learning environments, especially for geography education. Those approaches are not only needed to transfer knowledge but also to contribute to creating a more technologically literate society. For the future design of learning spaces and the corresponding professional development of teachers, it is indispensable to learn what the pedagogical advantages and limitations of fully virtual game-based approaches are. For this, it is necessary to know whether purely virtual concepts differ in knowledge transfer from those applied in technology-supported field trips on site. When it comes to promoting technological literacy, additional relevant questions are whether there are influences on participants’ attitudes toward modern technologies and whether there are implied gender effects in this regard. An empirical comparative study of a total of n=110 German high school students was conducted using a survey to answer these questions. Key results are that actual and virtual designs using technology-supported game-based learning approaches can be equally effective in knowledge transfer. Further certain technology-averse attitudes could be identified, which were more prevalent among females than males. This gender gap could be leveled out by the effects of the virtual game-based field trip. Across genders, the levels of aversion were reduced, as well, while affirmative attitudes toward modern technology rose. Highlights: • Combined DGBL-VFT approach effectively conveys subject-specific knowledge. • VFT fosters technological literacy via participants’ tech attitudes. • Gender gap closed by strong positive effects on females’ attitudes. https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/627virtual field tripsgame-based learninggender studiestechnological literacygeography educationforest ecosystem
spellingShingle Phillip Bengel
Carina Peter
Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
European Journal of Geography
virtual field trips
game-based learning
gender studies
technological literacy
geography education
forest ecosystem
title Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
title_full Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
title_fullStr Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
title_full_unstemmed Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
title_short Promoting technological literacy through virtual game-based field trips: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and gender
title_sort promoting technological literacy through virtual game based field trips effects on knowledge attitudes and gender
topic virtual field trips
game-based learning
gender studies
technological literacy
geography education
forest ecosystem
url https://www.eurogeojournal.eu/index.php/egj/article/view/627
work_keys_str_mv AT phillipbengel promotingtechnologicalliteracythroughvirtualgamebasedfieldtripseffectsonknowledgeattitudesandgender
AT carinapeter promotingtechnologicalliteracythroughvirtualgamebasedfieldtripseffectsonknowledgeattitudesandgender