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Serious Games and Critical Thinking Disposition: A Systematic Literature Review

2024-11-12T14:47:28+00:00

Serious games have emerged as powerful educational tools designed with explicit pedagogical goals. Recognising their potential and the pivotal role of critical thinking in addressing contemporary societal challenges, this study aims to explore the relationship between serious game design and the fostering of critical thinking disposition. Grounded in constructivist learning theory, this research employs the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to conduct a systematic review across five electronic databases, identifying 1,614 potentially relevant works, with four studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The analysis revealed several design elements consistently linked to the cultivation of critical thinking disposition within serious games. These elements include the exploration of diverse character perspectives, scenario-based approaches, emotional engagement, gamification techniques, adherence to psychosocial principles, and autonomy-enhancing, player-centric designs. Notably, these elements were interconnected, contributing synergistically to the immersive gaming experience. Through constructivist learning principles, interactive narratives, and problem-solving mechanisms, serious games provide opportunities for learners to engage deeply with complex problems, reflect on their decisions, and develop innovative solutions. Despite these promising findings, the study acknowledges limitations such as the limited availability of comparable articles in the existing body of literature. In conclusion, this research underscores the significance of serious games in promoting critical thinking disposition and highlights avenues for future empirical investigations in this vital intersection of education and gaming.

The Use of DigitaI Technologies by Adolescents at Risk of Social Exclusion

2024-11-28T18:48:37+00:00

The intensity with which children and adolescents use digital media, sometimes without the digital competence and supervision required, make it necessary to analyze whether there are differences in the use of those who lack these elements and those who enjoy them. The inappropriate uses of digital media of a convenience sample of 64 at-risk minors subject to socio-educational intervention and another of 856 normalized minors between 9 and 17 years old, have been compared. The applying of a validated and registrated (registry entry 01/2018/592) questionnaire composed of five dimensions: Usage Habits, Content and Downloads, Data Management, Relationships and Publications, has shown similar inappropriate use between groups, but with a clear tendency among children at risk to a better self-perception of their use of digital device. Among the results obtained, we observe, on the one hand, that normalized minors use more fake accounts, and, on the other hand, that girls at risk make more inappropriate use of Content and a worse Data Management than girls of the normalized sample. In addition, it has been detected that age is determinant in the type and frequency of use of both groups. In conclusion, more training is suggested, especially aimed at older children in both groups and at girls at risk.

Formative Research: Fostering Science and Community in Cauca trough Innovative Methods

2025-02-12T22:03:09+00:00

The article presents findings from a study conducted across four educational institutions in Popayán, Cauca, aimed at redefining formative research as a pedagogical and social tool by fostering scientific vocations among high school students. A qualitative methodology was employed, utilizing purposive sampling and an exploratory-descriptive design to examine practices and contextual characteristics of formative research. This was achieved through co-creation workshops structured into four phases: (a) inquiry, (b) contextualization, (c) science construction, and (d) reflection. Activities were designed to enhance scientific, critical, and social competencies in 250 students, 15 teachers, and 30 parents. The study challenged conventional definitions of science, promoting self-awareness among researchers, students, educators, and parents through a multiple intelligences framework and contextualized learning rooted in local issues. This approach highlighted the potential of such methodologies to strengthen social fabric, enrich learning, and build community support networks for science education (González-Ramírez et al., 2024). Results underscore the value of innovative pedagogical strategies that could inform public policies prioritizing meaningful, inclusive, and intercultural learning—particularly in socioeconomically and politically marginalized contexts like Cauca, Colombia.

Development of Reliable Surveys for Assessing Motivation and the Usefulness of Real-world Challenge-based Learning

2025-10-04T06:50:39+00:00

The objective of this study was to create, validate and demonstrate the reliability of surveys that assessed motivation, perception of learning and perception of the usefulness of the real-world challenge-based learning methodology (RWCBL) after his implementation in Sport and Exercise Sciences (SES) to examine whether teachers’ perception of its educational benefits aligns with of the other agents involved: university students (EU), school and high school teachers (PE) and their students (AE). The analysis of these variables within the RWCBL methodology constitutes the only means of comprehensively understanding the perceptions of these three key agents involved in it. The development of these surveys is warranted in SES for two primary reasons: (1) the literature review only provides validated but not reliability surveys and (2) integrate three key constructs from the domains of education and psychology. The validation of the surveys was carried out by twelve experts, and to establish their reliability, test-retests were conducted with EU and PE from the educational entities using Pearson’s ?2 statistical comparison by questions and topics. The validation results yielded three surveys: for EU (18 questions), for PE (28 questions) and AE (16 questions). All surveys consisted of Likert-type and open-ended questions. The development of the methodology to assess the reliability of the surveys was carried out throughout a course. First, the schools proposed the challenges; then the EU prepare their game proposals to solve the challenge, and finally, AE participated in the game. The ?2 results showed good reliability (p ? 0.05). The study demonstrated the validity of content and structure of surveys, as well as good reliability for analysing motivation, perception of learning and usefulness in RWCBL from the perspective of university students, teachers from educational entities and their students. Therefore, exhibited sufficient rigor and provided data from the different stakeholders involved, allowing for the possibility of being used to analyse subjects where the same methodology or in other active methodologies.

Technology in Education: Scratch and Interpersonal Skills in Adolescents

2025-10-04T07:00:26+00:00

Socio-emotional skills are crucial in the development of identity in adolescence. The field of education could be an ideal context for emphasizing socio-emotional and technological skills, promoting the well-being of young people and paying special attention to the digital divide. This study has used this environment to promote interpersonal skills where body image and identity are compromised. 217 secondary school students (12-17 years) participated in the study. Students had to propose solutions through dialogic debate to problem situations related to interpersonal skills, using Scratch (experimental group) or written text (control group). The purpose of this study is to assess whether the use of Scratch modifies beliefs about technology. For this, measurements were taken on the students’ perception of technology; perception of their own ability and the liking of technologies; and satisfaction with the participation in the project. Among the results, the detection of dilemmas where the pressure of sociocultural factors is questioned stands out. In relation to technology, were observed neatly in the experimental group after the intervention. On the one hand, boys showed greater interest, perceived greater ability and were less bored with technology. On the other hand, girls perceived technology as more difficult and felt less capable, in line with the gender bias in the technological field. Research needs to delve deeper into gender barriers and biases in relation to technology to increase interest in it and digital literacy in general, but especially in girls.

Non-Verbal Communication in the Classroom. Models of Social Contagion During an Exam in Secondary Education

2025-03-10T18:58:44+00:00

When middle and high school students take an exam, they seem to deliver their exams not independently, forming clusters both in time (the moment of delivery) and in space (the location in the classroom of the students of consecutive deliveries), thus suggesting the existence of a contagion effect among the students. We have investigated this example of non-verbal communication phenomenon which can affect the student’s academic performance, by recording data of more than 500 students in two different high schools, to find out if the data are well fitted by known contagion models. Methodologically, we use appropriate templates to record the time of the exam delivery for the students of different classrooms in a whole academic year, and check later if these data can be described with the known Verhulst model, used to describe population growth with limited resources and the evolution of epidemics (such as COVID19). Our results show that the experimental data are well described by the Verhulst model when the limit of time for completing the exam does not affect the corresponding classroom, i.e., when all the students deliver in time. However, when the classroom is affected by the time limitations, the data are not well fitted by contagion models. Therefore, we can conclude that there exists a kind of non-verbal communication among students during an exam, leading to imitation behaviors when deciding the delivery of their tests if the limitation of time is not an issue. This phenomenon may be produced by different factors of social psicology (gregarious effect, group polarization, etc.) which could be the subject of future research, as well as the possible effect of this contagion on the academic performance of the students.

Theoretical-practical Proposal for the Treatment of Scientific Journalism

2025-10-04T07:18:30+00:00

Science journalism is an area of specialization that reports and analyzes events related to science, in order to contribute to the formation of scientific to contribute to the formation of scientific awareness in audiences through science literacy and the and the consequent contribution to decision making in relation to discoveries and their applications. The study seeks to make a novel contribution to the theory of journalism by means of a practical theoretical proposal with work guidelines from the organizational - textual and content to contribute to close the gap between scientific progress and society’s knowledge of it. We work with Grounded Theory, characterized by its strategies of constant comparison and theoretical sampling. It offers a basis for scientific information in print journalism, with a rigorous methodological approach. The dimensions are explained on three grounds: 1) as a form of communication, the PC needs to reinvent itself to gain ground and audience; 2) PC demands exclusive forms of work, with dedicated exclusive forms of work, with spaces dedicated to producing these contents; and 3) the PC will depend on the levels of profesional will depend on the levels of professional training, the interests of the media and its directors, the use of understandable vocabulary, so that the journalist is a true mediator between content and audience.

Strengthening Environmental Communication for Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study of Maala Municipality, Algeria

2025-10-04T07:27:27+00:00

Rural regions across Algeria face persistent environmental challenges exacerbated by climate change, land degradation, and weak civic engagement. In response, the Algerian state has adopted integrated rural development strategies to revitalize marginalized territories. However, the communication dimension of these strategies remains underexplored. This study examines the role of environmental communication in promoting sustainable rural development in Maala Municipality, Bouira Province. Using a qualitative case study approach—including interviews, field observations, and document analysis—the research investigates how communication actors (forestry officers, agricultural advisors, local media, and civil society) shape public awareness, influence environmental behaviors, and support ecological resilience. Grounded in interdisciplinary literature, the study addresses a gap in existing research by linking media studies with environmental governance in rural contexts. Findings reveal that while communication efforts foster awareness, their impact is weakened by seasonal interventions, lack of strategic coordination, and limited stakeholder training. The study contributes an applied framework for enhancing participatory environmental communication in Algeria’s rural development policies.

Digital Communication and Self-Regulated Learning: The Effect of a Brief Messaging Service on University Students

2025-10-04T07:32:51+00:00

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a key skill for academic success in higher education, particularly in health-related programs where students face demanding coursework in basic sciences. However, explicit instruction on how to learn is often absent from curricula, limiting the development of these skills. In this context, low-cost and accessible strategies such as Short Message Services (SMS) have emerged as viable tools to support learning. This study preliminarily evaluated the effects of a strategy to promote SRL through SMS among first-year Speech Therapy students at a university in southern Chile. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combined individual interviews with a quasi-experimental approach involving comparison with a previous cohort. Over a three-month period, 16 students received 52 text messages containing SRL strategies. Results showed significant improvements in the three dimensions of SRL (planning, execution, and evaluation) and an increase in the pass rate for basic science courses. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the usefulness of SMS as a complementary tool to enhance self regulated learning and academic performance in university settings.

Perception on Artificial Intelligence of Dsominican Republic Pre service Teachers

2025-06-09T19:48:09+00:00

Since its launch in November 2022, the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming university learning, teaching, and research in all academic disciplines. Their use raises concerns and opportunities for university students and professors; hence, preservice teachers´ perspectives are essential for their successful implementation as learning and teaching tools. A contextualized analysis of preservice teachers’ attitudes is essential to understanding and guiding the successful and ethical integration of IGA in education. Despite its importance, there is a research gap in the Dominican Republic on how future teachers perceive, use, and value GenAI chatbots in their training and future professional practice. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze perceptions, practices, and attitudes toward the pedagogical use of GenAI chatbots among preservice teachers in the Dominican Republic. A correlational and cross-sectional study was conducted with 256 students of Teaching Practices, using a previously validated five- dimension questionnaire: perception of benefits and risks, practice, and attitude toward its use in Teaching Practices and professionally. Participants know the benefits and risks of using GenAI chatbots, use them to plan, search for, and design teaching strategies, and have a positive attitude toward their use in pre-service and in-service teaching practices. Additionally, the positive perception of the benefits of chatbots is associated with their use in pedagogical practice and a positive attitude toward GenIA. In contrast, risk perception is associated with lower use in practice and less favorable attitudes toward this technology. The findings have pedagogical and curricular implications; they can serve as a basis for designing IGA-based teaching strategies, identifying barriers and priority areas for teaching GenAI, and creating educational policies and regulations to promote its ethical, responsible, and effective use in teacher education in Dominican Republic.