Examination of Educational Digital Video Games on the STEAM Game Distribution Platform

Abstract

STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, aiming to enhance students' problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Digital games are considered effective tools for STEM education due to the interactive and engaging environments they provide. Specifically, simulation and problem-solving-focused digital games enable students to combine theoretical knowledge with practical applications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the educational potential of digital game distribution platforms in the context of STEM education and to provide recommendations for integrating educational games into teaching processes. The research focuses on popular digital game distribution platforms such as STEAM, EPIC Games, and GOG, and analyzes the educational games available on these platforms using content analysis. The analysis includes details about the developers of the educational games, age ratings, prices, number of reviews, and percentage of positive reviews. The findings indicate that digital games can be effectively utilized as educational tools to support problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the affordability and accessibility of the games available on these platforms present significant opportunities for equitable access to education. This study highlights the potential of digital games to support interdisciplinary learning within STEM education and aims to provide practical recommendations for their effective use in educational contexts

Keywords

• Digital video games
• Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM)
• Game Distributions Platforms

STEAM Oyun Tasarım Platformunda Bulunan Eğitsel Video Oyunlarının İncelenmesi

Öz

STEM eğitimi, bilim, teknoloji, mühendislik ve matematik disiplinlerini birleştiren, öğrencilerin problem çözme ve eleştirel düşünme becerilerini geliştirmeyi hedefleyen disiplinler arası bir yaklaşımdır. Dijital oyunlar, sundukları etkileşimli ve motive edici ortamlar sayesinde STEM eğitimi için etkili bir araç olarak görülmektedir. Özellikle simülasyon ve problem çözme odaklı dijital oyunlar, öğrencilerin teorik olarak edindikleri bilgileri pratikle birleştirmelerine olanak sağlamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, dijital oyun dağıtım platformlarının STEM eğitimi açısından eğitsel potansiyelini değerlendirmek ve bu platformlardaki eğitici oyunların öğretim süreçlerine entegrasyonuna dair öneriler sunmaktır. Araştırma, STEAM, EPIC Games ve GOG gibi popüler dijital oyun dağıtım platformlarına odaklanmış; bu platformlardaki eğitsel oyunlar, içerik analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. İncelemeler sonucunda eğitsel içeriğe sahip oyunların üretici firmaları, yaş sınırları, fiyatları, yorum sayıları ve olumlu yorum yüzdeleri gibi bilgiler analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, dijital oyunların problem çözme ve eleştirel düşünme becerilerini destekleyen eğitsel bir araç olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir. Ayrıca, bu platformlardaki oyunların uygun maliyetli ve erişilebilir olması, eğitime eşit erişim sağlama açısından önemli fırsatlar sunmaktadır. Çalışma, dijital oyunların STEM eğitimi bağlamında disiplinler arası öğrenmeyi destekleme potansiyelini vurgulamakta ve bu oyunların etkili kullanımına yönelik pratik öneriler sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dijital Video Oyunları
• Bilim Teknoloji Mühendislik Matematik (STEM)
• Oyun Dağıtım Platformları

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