Maria Kambouri

Playing the literacy game: a case study in adult education

Runner is a high‐quality educational game designed by the University for Industry (UfI/learndirect) to attract young adults who find learning in formal educational contexts difficult. A case study evaluation of this novel application of an adventure game genre to literacy learning is discussed, based on observations and interviews in three UK learning centres. We argue that (1) the success of this game in engaging with the target population calls for its consideration as an acceptable learning approach in an otherwise rather unimaginative curriculum world and (2) that learners made significant literacies gains beyond those expected by the game designers, UfI and the learners themselves.

Gender Issues in the University Research Environment.

Recruiting and retaining females within science, engineering and technology continues to challenge many European higher education institutions. This study looks at female self-perceptions relating to effective research work and career progression. Focus groups are used to examine the attitudes and experiences of females and a questionnaire is used to explore perceptions in four main skills areas: group work; communication; personal awareness; project planning and management. The study indicates consistent female concerns on issues pertaining to effective female role models, negative work-role stereotypes and the work–life balance of an academic career. For all four skills areas, the average confidence scores of the female participants fell below those of males, but these differences were only statistically significant for perceptions on group work and communication skills and prior to an intense skills development course. Based on these findings, a student workshop on gender issues has been developed, an outline of which is presented.

An Iterative, Multidisciplinary Approach to Studying Digital Play Motivation The Model of Game Motivation

The aim of this article is to present the methodological approach adopted for the development and iteration of the Model of Game Motivation (MGM), a conceptual model explaining digital play motivation. A multidisciplinary, mixed-methods research design was deployed for the empirical iteration of the model. This choice was reinforced by the critical review of related literature, which revealed that a combination of evidence from multiple disciplines (psychology, sociology, and technology) could contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of play motivation. An iterative, hypothesis-testing research design was the strategy used to conduct multidisciplinary, mixed-methods research. The initial, theoretical version of the MGM was iterated twice, resulting in a thoroughly developed, empirically grounded version that requires future validation. The value of this approach lies in the fact that it provides to game design stakeholders a methodological tool for understanding play motivation as a multifaceted activity, which could inform their practices.