Digital Games and Values Education in the Transmission of Morality through Codes

Öz

This study aims to critically evaluate the moral transmission potential of digital games within the context of values education and to analyze the pedagogical, cultural, and technological dynamics that influence this process within a holistic framework. As children and young people grow up immersed in digital culture, traditional methods of value transmission fall short in terms of both content and methodology. This necessitates a rethinking of values education in the digital age and increases its strategic importance in educational, ethical, and cultural contexts. A qualitative survey model was adopted within the scope of the research, and a multidimensional theoretical analysis was conducted in light of game-based learning theories, moral representation approaches, the digital media literacy framework, and current educational technology literature. Data were evaluated using systematic content analysis using internationally published academic articles, reports, and books. Specifically, the study explored how value transmission is possible in artificial intelligence and augmented reality-based game environments, under what conditions it becomes ineffective, and how it can be optimized. According to the study's key findings, when digital games are structured as experiential spaces that not only provide information but also enable moral decision-making, empathy, and the development of social responsibility, they can create a meaningful, lasting, and behavioral impact on value transfer. However, this impact depends not only on the content level but also on the presence of design elements such as the depth of the game's moral scenario, customization capabilities, emotional engagement, and the ability to convey ethical implications to the player. Otherwise, digital games lose their value-adding potential by becoming entertaining simulations detached from the pedagogical context. In this context, digital games should not be considered merely as auxiliary tools in the future of values education; they should be considered as multi-layered learning environments with the potential to evolve into a tool for pedagogical and cultural transformation.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Values education
• digital games
• game-based learning
• digital culture
• moral effectiveness
• gamification

Ahlakın Kodlarla iletiminde Dijital Oyunlar ve Değerler Eğitimi

Öz

Bu çalışma, dijital oyunların değerler eğitimi bağlamında ahlâkî aktarım potansiyelini eleştirel bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirmeyi ve bu süreçte etkili olan pedagojik, kültürel ve teknolojik dinamikleri bütüncül bir çerçevede analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çocuklar ve gençler dijital kültürle iç içe büyürken, geleneksel değer aktarım yöntemleri hem içerik hem de yöntem açısından yetersiz kalmakta; bu durum değerler eğitiminin dijital çağda yeniden düşünülmesini zorunlu kılmakta ve konunun eğitsel, etik ve kültürel bağlamda taşıdığı stratejik önemi artırmaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında nitel tarama modeli benimsenmiş; oyun temelli öğrenme kuramları, ahlâkî temsil yaklaşımları, dijital medya okuryazarlığı çerçevesi ve güncel eğitim teknolojileri literatürü ışığında çok boyutlu kuramsal bir analiz gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler, uluslararası düzeyde yayımlanmış akademik makaleler, raporlar ve kitaplar üzerinden sistematik içerik çözümlemesi yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiş; özellikle yapay zekâ ve artırılmış gerçeklik tabanlı oyun ortamlarında değer aktarımının nasıl mümkün olduğu, hangi koşullarda etkisizleştiği ve nasıl optimize edilebileceği araştırılmıştır. Çalışmanın temel bulgularına göre, dijital oyunlar yalnızca bilgi sunan değil, aynı zamanda ahlâkî kararlar almayı, empati kurmayı, sosyal sorumluluk geliştirmeyi mümkün kılan birer deneyim alanı olarak yapılandırıldığında değer aktarımında anlamlı, kalıcı ve davranışa dönüşen bir etki oluşturabilmektedir. Ancak bu etki, sadece içerik düzeyinde değil; aynı zamanda oyun tasarımının ahlâkî senaryo derinliği, kişiselleştirme olanakları, duyuşsal etkileşim düzeyi ve etik sonuçların oyuncuya hissettirilmesi gibi tasarımsal unsurların varlığına bağlıdır. Aksi hâlde dijital oyunlar, eğlenceli ancak pedagojik bağlamdan kopuk simülasyonlara dönüşerek değer kazandırma potansiyelini kaybetmektedir. Bu bağlamda dijital oyunlar, değerler eğitiminin geleceğinde yalnızca yardımcı bir araç değil; pedagojik ve kültürel bir dönüşüm aracına evrilebilecek potansiyele sahip, çok katmanlı öğrenme ortamları olarak değerlendirilmelidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Değerler eğitimi
• dijital oyunlar
• oyun temelli öğrenme
• dijital kültür
• ahlaki etkililik
• oyunlaştırma

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