This is a video abstract for the following research paper:
D. Abbott (2024) GAME-BASED APPROACHES FOR RESEARCH SKILLS TRAINING AND RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT: A SURVEY OF ATTITUDES AND ACCEPTANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION, ICERI2024 Proceedings, pp. 1440-1449. doi: [ Ссылка ]
It was presented at ICERI 2024.
TRANSCRIPT
This paper gives a clear overview of the attitudes, opportunities, barriers, and concerns of higher education staff when considering the use of game-based learning to complement research skills training provision in universities. Research skills training is often seen as challenging and dry. Constructivism, including game-based learning (GBL) techniques, improves outcomes for students.
Yet GBL for research skills is under researched. A survey of UK higher education professionals demonstrates a very strong appetite for games and gamified approaches for research skills, in 88% of 92 respondents across the complex, landscape of research skills, provision. Thematic, analysis of qualitative responses identifies key themes, such as GBL's ability to reduce the fear of failure, and support experiential learning, institutional and attitudinal barriers, and the need for balancing flexibility and structure to scaffold learning.
Respondents highlighted specific challenges from financial limitations to the need for skilled facilitators but the majority believe GBL can help teach complex, high-level topics within research skills. The paper's key finding is that GBL can offer promising pathways for enhancing researcher development in higher education.
