Use of Games in Education: GeoGuessr in Geography Course

Yıl 2017, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 1 - 6, 31.12.2017

Mustafa Girgin

Öz

Almost all of the studies which are about the learning effects of the games emphasize as if, they have all agreed
on all hands that the games contribute to the child’s spiritual and educational development. No matter at which
age group it is, to claim that game derived gains couldn’t be gained by no other way, wouldn’t be exaggeration
indeed. The ones who spend their time playing games are known to be ahead from the ones who don’t in a lot of
areas like 3D thinking, reasoning and having responsibilities aside from having fun. When units and gains observed
in geography courses, it is seen that there is no reference to gaming. In fact, gaming affects all students’ learning
performance of all ages positively. The geography game “Geography Prediction” spread on the internet with the
slogan “Discover the World” named GeoGuessr, takes its players to many places from Australia’s play the game
in which one has to figure out a location based on five randomly given pictures by using various geographical
indicators, players put a mark on the World map and gain point according to the proximity of their mark to the
location. It is looked for an answer to the question of “Which geographical indicators used by the students in this
GeoGuessr exercise?”. It was asked to play this game from a group of 140 first grade Mugla Sıtkı Kocman
University, Faculty of Education students. They all have encountered the game for the first time and have never
played before, they are asked 6 questions like how many times they have played the game, the reason they got low
points, the highest point they got, which indicators they have used and the place of the game in teaching geography.
All of the participants shared the highest point they got on their own blog and made evaluations about the game.

Anahtar Kelimeler

educational games, GeoGuessr, Geography Course

Kaynakça

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