Lessons Learned Using Video Games in the Constructivist Undergraduate Engineering Classroom

As constructivism gains more popularity in undergraduate engineering classrooms, video games are used with more frequency for instructional purposes. In fact, many of the principles of constructivism are practiced in the classroom through the use of video games. Since the beginning of this educational trend, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect that some learning or recreational games have had on learners and on their mastery of learning objectives. Many of these studies have focused on specific sets of skills that specific video games can promote. Nevertheless, there is evidence that any type of video game, regardless of its learning or recreational nature, can help students develop certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that could be useful for engineering education. This literature review will describe the KSAs that could be obtained in constructivistoriented classrooms when learners engage in any type of video game. The following research questions have guided this review: What KSAs do students learn when playing any type of video games? Why can video games be considered constructivist instructional materials? This research paper looks forward to demonstrating that beyond learning objectives that can be assigned to specific video games in the classroom, video games can teach KSAs that are implicit in each gaming opportunity, such as high-order thinking and decision-making skills, persistence, socialization, leadership skills, self-confidence, and autonomy and self-regulation.