Teacher training on mobile and game-based learning: literature review and training program proposal

Abstract

The integration of mobile and game-based technologies in teaching practices is challenging for teachers, as they have both pedagogical and technological issues to tackle and, frequently, do not have or have insufficient training in this specific area. The analysis of the literature in this field is relevant for sustaining decisions regarding both pre-service and in-service teacher training in mobile and game-based learning, and to suggest future lines of research. The objective of this contribution is to provide an overview of the approaches and type of resources considered suited for teacher training, as well as the empirical results obtained in those training initiatives. For that, a literature review was conducted following the 2020 research procedure of the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA). It involved searching and screening peer reviewed publications indexed in ERIC until 2022. The articles reviewed were related to teacher training focusing mobile learning or game-based learning, directed at primary and/or secondary teachers. The results revealed that teacher training approaches include the: 1) familiarization with digital tools that can be mobilized in teaching practices; 2) development of mobile and/or game-based learning resources; and 3) testing those resources with students. The digital tools explored in training were either previously existing software (e.g., Excel, Hot Potatoes, or Kahoot) or web-based tools developed specifically to support these innovative approaches. Overall, the training results obtained in the included studies were: 1) Trainees’ positive perceptions towards the integration of mobile/game-based learning in their (future) teaching practice; 2) Trainees’ acknowledgement of both advantages and constraints regarding these approaches; 3) Exploring mobile and/or game-based learning is a challenging task for (future) teachers; and 4) Teacher training is needed since pre-service courses, to support both pedagogical and technological issues regarding mobile and game-based learning. Considering the lack of research in the area of teacher training on mobile and game-based learning and the authors’ previous experience in this area, an accredited in-service teacher training is proposed. The training is directed at teachers from different subject areas, to support the development of cross-subjects work and it includes: 1) An initial contextualization on mobile and game-based learning, 2) A mobile gaming experience as if teachers were students, 3) Hands-on project of mobile game creation, including the development of educative multimedia resources; 4) Game testing with the trainees’ students; and 5) Game results’ analysis and reflection. Finally, the game produced during the training is made openly available to be useful to other teachers and students. This study is a first step to provide a state-of-the-art regarding teacher training on mobile and game-based learning. It reveals the lack of empirical studies reporting research on training approaches for primary and secondary teachers, particularly the training approaches, tools and results obtained. The main limitation of this study is the low number of studies that met the inclusion criteria, so future work must include other sources of scientific publication registers.