Using Mainstream Game to Teach Technology through an Interest Framework

This study validates a pedagogical framework, which integrates a mainstream game to teach the technology supporting that game. Technologies in learning games can engage students and make the learning contents interesting to them. However, technologies themselves are seldom the subject of learning in the game they support. In addition, learning activities in a gaming context usually engage students temporarily in the subject. As soon as the game is over, students’ desire for learning may cease. The framework tries to achieve the transition of students’ interests from the initial interest motivated by the game to the later-developed cognitive and personal interests in the subject. Based on the framework, this study designs and experiments a practice to evaluate the proposed framework. Participants’ subjective responses show their satisfaction about the practice of learning and developing interest of the subject matter. This study not only provides a dual aspect of game technology adoption for motivating students, but also proposes a pedagogical framework for students’ lasting learning. It is expected to provide a new and valuable idea about the use of technologies and games in education.