Is more comfortable reading possible with collaborative digital games? An experimental study

Abstract

In this study, which is based on the fact that the nature of learning is and should be understood on the basis of social constructivism, interaction and collaboration in language development are explored and digital games are discussed as an instructional technology. For digital games developed with learning in mind, the effects of educational change for learners have not yet been fully explored. The effects of digital games supported with reciprocal activities related to reading comprehension, reading motivation, and reading anxiety for science texts were investigated in this study. Eighty-five participants were randomly assigned to a group that played digital games without reciprocal activities (control group, n=43), and they were compared to a group that played digital games with reciprocal activities (experimental group, n=42), reading ten different texts over a ten-week period. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design to compare reading comprehension, reading motivation, and reading anxiety outcomes. Considering the effectiveness of reciprocal activities, the participants who were supported by collaborative activities were more motivated and less anxious than those in the group that used the digital games without collaborative activities. These findings indicate that the use of collaborative activities should not be ignored when planning to employ the supporting role of any instructional technologies while teaching reading skills.