1337_Skillz : do digital games promote 21st century skills?

Abstract

This dissertation explores the promotion of 21st Century Skills through the use of digital games. The research sample included 161 participants who engage in digital gaming, 94% males and 6% females. The respondents' age ranged from under 16 years to over 30 years with the majority of respondents, 41%, being between 21 and 25 years. The investigation was carried out with the use of an online questionnaire which was formulated for the purpose of this study. Through the online questionnaire data about the participants' educational level, the number of hours dedicated to gaming everyday from home and outside home together with their game preference was collected. A section regarding gaming and skill development consisted of 37 statements about 21st Century Skills scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis was conducted using Chi-square test, Friedman test and One-way ANOVA. According to the results of this study, the promotion of 21st Century Skills is very much dependable on the age, education, daily hours of gaming and game preference of the gamer. Moreover, the main trend was that those who engage in long hours of gaming from home consider their games as learning tools. Long duration of gaming (4+ hours) and level of gaming competence were found to be directly related to one's communication skills developed through Discussion Forums. These gamers' characteristics were also found to be related to team management skills that lead to the development of transferable personal skills such as problem solving and critical thinking skills.