A New Direction
It was through the mobile game's presentation, I was struck with the idea that educational games were focused on outcomes. When you "win" the game, you have mastered the skill. In comparison, the immersive experience that video games provide allows for greater interaction and focus on the curricular competencies (Fullerton, 2008). Educational games must balance engagement, assessment, and learning as three equally important components. The construction of typical educational games results in a rigid structure that does not allow for individual play, critical thinking and problem-solving.
The Smartphone and the Extension of Oneself
In a study by Park & Kaye (2019), the participants repeatedly described "their smartphone as an essential tool in maintaining their life and identity."
The characteristics included:
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extending their mental and physical abilities
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to form and maintain relationships
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to shape their identity (real and virtual self)
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they describe their device anthropomorphically
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an existential dimension of their self
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There are various studies to compare adolescent phone addiction to mental health. The results show polarized results. Some researchers believe in a positive association with mental health and cell phone addiction, where others note negative or indirect relationships (Shoukat, 2019).
Cell phones in adolescents are a resource that can be integrated into educational contexts. Mobile games can provide enjoyment, educational content and mindfulness.
Digital Games vs. Mindfulness Apps
Mindfulness Apps, in a way, are similar to educational games as the participant must go through the short exercises but is not allowed for individual choice or adaptation.
Digital video games are a creative medium of the 21st century - they are played on phones, on tablets, dedicated desktops and consoles, and by millions of adults and children worldwide. They are the singles fastest-growing creative industry on the planet. In North America alone, the digital games market is expected to grow up to 10% (in the mobile sector) in one year. (Statistica, 2019).
Comparatively, the educational community has yet to recognize the value of digital video games in the classroom and have been slow to incorporate the media type into pedagogical practice. Even though there is empirical evidence demonstrating the rich potential of digital games for differentiated learning and instruction. There is a large gap borne out by research on digital games and learning: teachers, who by and large have limited to no experience of digital games, also struggle to recognize what is learning through playing them (De Castell & Jenson, 2007). Another aspect of digital games satisfies in the B.C. Curriculum is digital literacy. Digital literacies are skills used in the 21st century through training, job, social and cultural life.
The Value of Mindfulness Apps vs. Digital Games
There has been past research aimed to compare the effectiveness of a digital game and a mindfulness app in promoting post-work recovery. The results show that digital games are more effective in fulfilling the criteria for post-work recovery than the mindfulness apps (Collins, et al., 2019). One issue with mindfulness apps is that it requires voluntary participation where engagement and interest decrease over time. The mindfulness apps do not offer the escapism found through digital games. Escapism can act as a mood management strategy, as people tend to play games to avoid negative and induce positive mood states (Kosa & Uysal, 2020).
The integration of video game-style learning in mobile learning can promote mindfulness to satisfy the BC curriculum as well as providing relaxation and a calming presence.