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

Kaynakça

1. Abt, C. C. (1970). Serious games. The Viking Press.
2. Adams, E., & Rollings A. (2014). Fundamentals of game design. Prentice Hall.
3. Akramova, G., Ma’murov, B., Akramova, S., Qo’ldoshev, R., & Shodmonova, A. (2024). Methods of using STEAM technologies in the development of pupils’ computational thinking. E3S Web of Conferences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202453805034.
4. Alkan, N. (2014). Tarihin çağlara ayrılmasında “üçlü sistem” ve Türk-İslâm tarihinin çağ taksimi meselesi. Turkish History Education Journal, 3(2), 43-64.
5. Arnedo-Moreno, J., & García-Solórzano, D. (2020, November). Programming is fun! a survey of the Steam digital distribution platform. In 2020 IEEE 32nd Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
6. Ata, B. (2009). Sosyal bilgiler ünitesi kavramı üzerine bazı düşünceler. Sosyal bilgiler öğretiminde yeni yaklaşımlar (ss. 45-56). Pegem Akademi.
7. Aydoğdu K., İ. (2015). Dijital oyunlar ve dijital şiddet farkındalığı: Ebeveyn ve çocuklar üzerinde yapılan karşılaştırmalı bir analiz. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, cilt 8, sayı 36.
8. Barr, M. (2017). Video games can develop graduate skills in higher education students: A randomized trial. Computers & Education, 113, 86-97.

9. Bartle, R. (1996). Hearts, clubs, diamonds, spades: Players who suit muds. Journal of MUD research, 1(1), 19.
10. Bayas, B. W. O., Ganchozo, A., Ortiz, D., Vera, A., & Zambrano, Z. (2022). Video game as an educational tool in primary school applying steam methodology. Revista Iberoamericana de la Educación, 6(4).
11. Behnamnia, N., Kamsin, A., Akmar, M., Ismail, B., & Hayati, A. (2020). The effective components of creativity in digital game-based learning among young children: A case study. Children and Youth Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105227.
12. Bellanca, J. A., & Brandt, R.S. (2010). 21st century skills: Rethinking how students learn. Vol. 20. Bloomington, Solution Tree Press.
13. Blizzard (2021, February 4) Battle.net service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle.net
14. Boytchev, P., & Boytcheva, S. (2020). Gamified evaluation in STEAM for higher education: A case study. Information, 11(6), 316.
15. Bozgöz, A. (2017). Ortaokul 6. sınıf sosyal bilgiler dersinde ilkçağ tarihi konularından Kadeş antlaşmasının barış eğitimi kapsamında ve öğrenci görüşlerine göre değerlendirilmesi, Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi.
16. Bozkurt, A. (2014). Homo ludens: Dijital oyunlar ve eğitim. Eğitim Teknolojileri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5(1), 1-21.
17. Burguillo, J. C. (2010). Using game theory and competition-based learning to stimulate student motivation and performance. Computers & Education, 55, 2, 566–575.
18. Checa-Romero, M. (2016). Developing Skills in Digital Contexts. Games and Culture, 11, 463 - 488. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412015569248.
19. Chen, C. H., Yang, J. C., Shen, S., & Jeng, M. C. (2007). A desktop virtual reality earth motion system in astronomy education. Educational Technology & Society, 10(3), 289-304.
20. Çınar, M., Doğan, D., & Seferoğlu, S. S. (2015, Şubat 6-8). Eğitimde dijital araçlar: Google sınıf uygulaması üzerine bir değerlendirme [Sözlü bildiri]. Akademik Bilişim Konferansı, Eskişehir, Türkiye.
21. Çınar, S., & Çiftçi, M. (2016). Disiplinler arası stem yaklaşımına yönelik yapılan çalışmaların içerik analizi. 10th International Computer and Instructional Technologies Symposium (ICITS), Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University
22. Crawford, C. (1984) The Art of Computer Game Design, 1st ed.; McGraw-Hill Osborne Media: Berkeley, CA, USA.
23. Dickey, M. D. (2011). Murder on Grimm Isle: the impact of game narrative design in an educational game-based learning environment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 42, 3, 456–469.
24. Ebner, M., & Holzinger, A. (2007). Successful implementation of user-centered game based learning in higher education: an example from civil engineering. Computers & Education, 49, 3, 873–890.
25. Epic Games (2018, Feb 7) Epic Games Store. https://www.epicgames.com/site/tr/epic-games-store-faq
26. Eş, F. (2015, August 15). Hacknet incelemesi. Fragtist. https://fragtist.com/pc/hacknet-incelemesi/
27. Falah, J., Khan, S., Alfalah, T., Alfalah, S. F., Chan, W., Harrison, D. K., & Chariss, V. (2014). Virtual reality medical training system for anatomy education. In 2014 Science and information conference (pp. 752-758). IEEE.
28. Fidan, Ş., Karaman, Ö. A., & Yıldırmaz, A. (2022). Steam dijital oyun platformunda bulunan eğitici içerikli dijital oyunların elektrik-elektronik mühendisliği öğretim müfredatına entegrasyonu için öneriler. Journal of Advanced Research in Natural and Applied Sciences , 8 (4) , 555-568 . DOI: 10.28979/jarnas.1064673.
29. Fitzgerald, S. (2016, January 19). Infinifactory. https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/infinifactory
30. Freitas, S. (2018). Are Games Effective Learning Tools? A Review of Educational Games. J. Educ. Technol. Soc., 21, 74-84.
31. Gerardi, M., Cukor, J., Difede, J. Rizzo, A., & Rothbaum, B, O. (2010). Virtual reality exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep 12, 298–305 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-010-0128-4
32. Gog (2021, February 16), Gog about. https://www.gog.com/about_gog.
33. Goncalves, R., Pedrozo, A. L., Coutinho, E. S., Figueira, I., & Ventura, P. (2012). Efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD: a systematic review. PloS one, 7(12), e48469. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048469
34. Gredler, M. (2013). Games and Simulations and Their Relationships to Learning., 571-581. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410609519-30.
35. Griffiths, M. D. (2002). The educational benefits of videogames. Education and Health, 20(3), 47-51.
36. Gros, B. (2003). The impact of digital games in education. First Monday, 8.
37. Harris, K., & Reid, D. (2005). The influence of virtual reality play on children’s motivation. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72, 1, 21–30.
38. Hearn, P. (2020, September 26). 8 alternatives to Steam for buying PC games online. Online Tech Tips. https://www.online-tech-tips.com/gaming/8-alternatives-to-steam-for-buying-pc-games-online/
39. Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24(2), 225–229.
40. Hock, P., Benedikter, S., Gugenheimer, J., & Rukzio, E. (2017). Carvr: Enabling in-car virtual reality entertainment. In Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 4034-4044).
41. Huggins, R., & Johnston, A. (2009). The economic and innovation contribution of universities: a regional perspective. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 27(6), 1088-1106.
42. Humble (2022, February 16). Humble bundle about. https://www.humblebundle.com/about.
43. Hussein, M., Ow, S., Cheong, L., & Thong, M. (2019). A Digital Game-Based Learning Method to Improve Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in Elementary Science. IEEE Access, 7, 96309-96318. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2929089.
44. Itch.io (2021, February 16). Itch.io about. https://itch.io/docs/general/about , (last visited: Feb 7, 2021)
45. Javed, J. (2020, March 29). eSports and gaming industry thriving as video games provide escape from reality during coronavirus pandemic. WFAA.
46. Johnson, C. C., Peters-Burton, E. E., & Moore, T. J. (Eds.). (2016). STEM road map: A framework for integrated STEM education. Routledge.
47. Landers, R. N., & Callan, R. C. (2011). Casual social games as serious games: the psychology of gamification in undergraduate education and employee training. Serious games and edutainment applications (pp. 399e423). Springer-Verlag.
48. Lin, D., Bezemer, C. P., & Hassan, A. E. (2018). An empirical study of early access games on the Steam platform. Empirical Software Engineering, 23(2), 771-799.
49. Lin, D., Bezemer, C. P., Zou, Y., & Hassan, A. E. (2019). An empirical study of game reviews on the Steam platform. Empirical Software Engineering, 24(1), 170-207.
50. Lynkova D. (2021, February 21) Video Game Statisticshttps://review42.com/resources/video-game-statistics/
51. Mao, W., Cui, Y., Chiu, M., & Lei, H. (2021). Effects of Game-Based Learning on Students’ Critical Thinking: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59, 1682 - 1708. https://doi.org/10.1177/07356331211007098.
52. Macgregor J. (2018, October 28), Exapunks Review, https://www.pcgamer.com/exapunks-review/
53. Mallory, S. (2019, July). To the Moon: Kerbal space program as playful, educational experience. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 320-332). Springer, Cham.
54. Malone, T. W. (1980). What makes things fun to learn? A study of intrinsically motivating computer games. Stanford University.
55. Marginson, S., Tytler, R., Freeman, B., & Roberts, K. (2013). STEM: Country Comparisons. International comparisons of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Australian Academy of Learned Academies (ACOLA).
56. Martin, L., Dixon, C., & Betser, S. (2018). Iterative design toward equity: Youth repertoires of practice in a high school Maker space. Equity & Excellence in Education, 51(1), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2018.
57. Mayer, R. (2016). What Should Be the Role of Computer Games in Education?. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3, 20 - 26. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215621311.
58. Mayer, R. (2019). Computer Games in Education. Annual review of psychology, 70, 531-549 . https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102744.
59. McDaniel, S. H., Salas, E., & Kazak, A. E. (2018). The science of teamwork. American Psychologist, 73(4), 51-104.
60. McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. Penguin Press.
61. McLaughlin M. (2017, May 23), Codecombat review, https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/codecombat.
62. Microsoft (2021, February 4) Xbox Game Store. http://marketplace.xbox.com.
63. Miljanovic, M. A., & Bradbury, J. S. (2018, November). A review of serious games for programming. In Joint International Conference on Serious Games (pp. 204-216). Springer, Cham.
64. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2023). Ortaöğretim tarih dersi (9, 10 ve 11. sınıflar) öğretim programı. https://mufredat.meb.gov.tr/ProgramDetay.aspx?PID=1265
65. Milovanovic, J., Moreau, G., Siret, D., & Miguet, F. (2017). Virtual and augmented reality in architectural design and education. In 17th International Conference, CAAD Futures 2017.
66. Mozelius, P., Fagerström, A., & Söderquist, M. (2017). Motivating factors and tangential learning for knowledge acquisition in educational games. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 15(4), 343-354.
67. Muntean, C. I. (2011). Raising engagement in e-learning through gamification. In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on virtual learning (pp. 323e329).
68. National Cancer Institute. (2019). Taking time: Support for people with cancer (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf
69. Newton, I. (1998). Doğal felsefenin matematiksel ilkeleri (A. Yardımlı, Trans.). İdea Basım Yayın.
70. Nykl, S., Mourning, C., Leitch, M., Chelberg, D., Franklin, T., & Liu, C. (2008). An overview of the STEAMiE Educational game Engine. 2008 38th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference, F3B-21-F3B-25. https://doi.org/10.1109/FIE.2008.4720454.
71. Mukhra, R., Baryah, N., Krishan, K., & Kanchan, T. (2019). ‘Blue Whale Challenge’: A game or crime?. Science and engineering ethics, 25, 285-291.
72. Oblinger, D. (2004). The next generation of educational engagement. Journal of Intercreative Media in Education, 2004(8), 1-18.
73. Office of the Chief Scientist. (2013). Science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the national interest: A strategic approach.
74. Ölçme, Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi. (2018). 2024 Yükseköğretim Kurumları Sınavı (YKS) kılavuzu. https://dokuman.osym.gov.tr/pdfdokuman/2024/YKS/kilavuzyks2024.pdf
75. Origin. (2011). Origin service. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_(service)
76. Orlosky, J., Itoh, Y., Ranched, M., Kiyokawa, K., Morgan, J., & Devos, H. (2017). Emulation of physician tasks in eye-tracked virtual reality for remote diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 23(4), 1302-1311.
77. Pantling, A. (2020). Gaming usage up 75 percent amid coronavirus outbreak, Verizon reports. Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gaming-usage-up-75-percent-coronavirus-outbreak-verizon-reports-1285140.
78. Perignat, E., & Katz-Buonincontro, J. (2019). STEAM in practice and research: An integrative literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 31, 31-43.
79. Petkov, P., Köbler, F., Foth, M., Medland, R. C., & Krcmar, H. (2011). Engaging energy saving through motivation-specific social comparison. In Proc conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1-6).
80. Piaget, J. (2013). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood (Vol. 25). Routledge.
81. Pitt, J. (2009). Blurring the boundaries - STEM education and education for sustainable development. Design and Technology Education, 14(1), 37-48.
82. Ranalli, J., & Ritzko, J. (2013, October). Assessing the impact of video game-based design projects in a first-year engineering design course. In 2013 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE) (pp. 530-534). IEEE.
83. Reger, G. M., & Gahm, G. A. (2008). Virtual reality exposure therapy for active duty soldiers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 64(8), 940-946.
84. Roberts, S. (2020, April 9). Early string ties us to Neanderthals. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/science/neanderthals-fiber-string-math.html
85. Rothwell, J. (2013). The hidden STEM economy. The Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings.
86. Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of play: Game design fundamentals (p. 672). MIT Press.
87. Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, pp. A 1, A4.
88. Smaldone, R., Thompson, C., Evans, M., & Voit, W. (2017). Teaching science through video games.. Nature chemistry, 9 2, 97-102 . https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2694.
89. Stephen, B. (2020). This is Twitch’s moment. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/18/2twitch-youtube-livestreaming-streamelements-coronavirus-quarantine-viewership-numbers.
90. Suits, B. (1980). The grasshopper: Games, life and utopia (Repr., p. 178). University of Toronto Press.
91. Toms, O. (2019, November 6). Have you played Robocode?. Rock Paper Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/have-you-played-robocode
92. Ubisoft. (2009). Uplay ecosystem. https://ubisoftconnect.com/#ecosystem-section
93. Valve. (2021a). Steam stats. https://store.steampowered.com/stats/
94. Valve. (2021b). Steam about. https://store.steampowered.com/about/
95. Videnovik, M., Trajkovik, V., Kiønig, L., & Vold, T. (2020). Increasing quality of learning experience using augmented reality educational games. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 79, 23861 - 23885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-020-09046-7.
96. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Harvard University Press.
97. Wong, B. (2021, March 28). A review of Codin Game as a software engineer interview prep tool. Pathrise. https://www.pathrise.com/guides/a-review-of-codingame-as-a-software-engineer-technical-prep-tool/
98. World Health Organization. (2018, May 24). The top 10 causes of death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
99. Xu, M., Luo, Y., Zhang, Y., Xia, R., Qian, H., & Zou, X. (2023). Game-based learning in medical education. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1113682.
100. Yang, Y. (2012). Building virtual cities, inspiring intelligent citizens: Digital games for developing students' problem solving and learning motivation. Comput. Educ., 59, 365-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2012.01.012.