THE ROLE OF VIDEO GAMES IN EDUCATION: THE CASE OF ASSASSIN’S CREED

Abstract

This study has examines how Assassin’s Creed: Discovery Tour – Ancient Greece integrates narrative design with historical reconstruction to foster educational engagement and experiential learning. Through a narrative and thematic analysis of in-game dialogues, guided tours, and player interactions, the research identified four interrelated dimensionsthat define the game’s pedagogical potential: authenticity, agency, historical empathy, and accessibility. The findings show that Ubisoft’s educational adaptation of Assassin’s Creed successfully transforms entertainment-oriented design into an immersive learning environment where students can experience history as a dynamic and interpretive process. By emphasizing narrative immersion, interactive exploration, and reflective engagement, the Discovery Tour mode demonstrates how digital games can serve as effective tools for teaching historical awareness and critical thinking. The study contributes to the growing body of literature in game-based learning by combining narrative theory with educational design, revealing that meaning and empathy can emerge through interactive storytelling.

Keywords

• video games
• education
• Assassin's Creed

VIDEO OYUNLARININ EĞİTİMDEKİ ROLÜ: ASASSIN’S CREED

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Assassin’s Creed: Discovery Tour – Ancient Greece oyununun anlatı tasarımı ile tarihsel yeniden inşayı nasıl bütünleştirerek eğitsel katılımı ve deneyimsel öğrenmeyi teşvik ettiğini incelemektedir. Oyun içi diyalogların, rehberli turların ve oyuncu etkileşimlerinin anlatısal ve tematik analizi yoluyla yapılan araştırma, oyunun pedagojik potansiyelini tanımlayan dört birbiriyle ilişkili boyutu ortaya koymuştur: özgünlük, özneleşme (agency), tarihsel empati ve erişilebilirlik. Bulgular, Ubisoft’un Assassin’s Creed serisini eğitime uyarlayarak, eğlence odaklı bir tasarımı öğrencilerin tarihi dinamik ve yoruma açık bir süreç olarak deneyimleyebileceği sürükleyici bir öğrenme ortamına dönüştürdüğünü göstermektedir. Anlatısal imersiyon (narrative immersion), etkileşimli keşif ve yansıtıcı katılımı vurgulayan Discovery Tour modu, dijital oyunların tarihsel farkındalık ve eleştirel düşünmeyi öğretmede etkili araçlar olarak nasıl kullanılabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, anlatı kuramı ile eğitim tasarımını birleştirerek, anlam ve empatinin etkileşimli hikâye anlatımı aracılığıyla ortaya çıkabileceğini göstererek oyun temelli öğrenme literatürüne katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

• video oyunları
• eğitim
• Assassin's Creed

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