Leren en ontwikkelen van adolescenten binnen een gaming community

Abstract

Introduction Digital media are marching their way into society at a high pace, by means of online gaming communities. Although these communities cause radical changes in social interactions, they also bring many opportunities, one of which is learning from the communities. Although there is a plethora of literature on both formal informal learning, these theories cannot naturally be assumed to have the same working mechanism in digital environments, due to the differences in external factors. In this study we examined to what extent participants in online gaming communities experience learning and self-development in these communities, and how they differ from formal learning environments. Methods Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 participants, aged 14-19 years, who were part of the Overwatch community. Participants spent from 1.5 to 6 hours gaming each day (M = 2.85 hr). Results were processed using open encoding. Interviews were transcribed, followed by analysing and labelling of the data. Results Participants agreed that the Overwatch community contributed to their knowledge of the English language. The community also contributed to their social skills, albeit to a certain amount. The major differences between learning from the community and a formal learning environment consist of the obligation to participate and therefore the motivation to take part in the community. In addition, learning in the Overwatch community is a by-product rather than a primary goal. Discussion Online gaming communities are forming a growing part of society. These communities can be seen as an opportunity for learning and development in adolescents. However, further studies are needed using larger participant groups and including different communities to examine whether specific game-characteristics increase learning potential.