Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies

2025

Siitonen, Marko

Gaming in Intercultural Education : Promises and Risks Book Chapter

In: Portera, Agostino; Trevisan, Michael S.; Milani, Marta (Ed.): Intercultural Education, Curriculum Development, Assessment and Teaching : Global Perspectives, Routledge, 2025, ISBN: 978-1-032-72339-6.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Education, Gaming, Teaching practices

2024

Aurava, Riikka

Game Jamming in Schools: Affordances of Game Jam Events in General Formal Education PhD Thesis

2024, ISBN: 978-952-03-3690-5.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Affordance, Education, Game jam, Game jam organizers

@phdthesis{nokey,

title = {Game Jamming in Schools: Affordances of Game Jam Events in General Formal Education},

author = {Riikka Aurava},

url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3691-2},

isbn = {978-952-03-3690-5},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-12-17},

journal = {Tampere University Dissertations},

publisher = {Tampere University},

abstract = {Educational systems worldwide aim to further the so-called 21st century or futureoriented

competence. This competence consists of knowledge and skills deemed

necessary in the constantly changing world and working life, as well as the capability

and will to use the skills and knowledge. Several facets of the 21st century

competence, like creativity, adaptability, and learning-to-learn skills that do not

directly belong to any specific school subject or discipline, have been noted as hard

to teach in general formal education.



Games and game culture have become increasingly ubiquitous. For several people,

and for most adolescents, games are an everyday pastime. With the rise of playing

games, making games as a hobby has proliferated. Game jam events, where people

gather to create games together, have grown in popularity since the first recorded

game jam event in 2002. Research on game jamming shows learning to be a

significant motivation to participate in game jams and an important outcome for

most game jam participants. Research further connects these learning outcomes with

several areas of 21st century competence, although the results have mainly been

tentative and preliminary, and the studied game jams have mainly been organised

outside of general formal education, with mostly adult informants.



This dissertation studies game jam events organised as part of general formal

education. The work presents an iterative, hermeneutic educational design research

project that yields 1) theoretical understanding of game jam events in school use and

2) a practical product, a guideline for organising game jam events as part of general

formal education, in schools, and for the purposes of learning and teaching. The

research was carried out in Finland, and the three main iterations of the design,

school-related game jam events, were organised in general upper secondary schools

for students 16 to 19 years old. The study uses mainly qualitative methods: open

ended surveys, interviews, and observations of game jam events. The informants are

teachers from all educational levels and students at general upper secondary schools.



The findings show that 1) game jam learning belongs to the social constructivist and

constructionist pedagogical continuum, 2) game jam events fit schools best when the

school practicalities are flexible enough to organise project-based and integrated

learning, 3) game jam participation is likely to further 21st century competence, 4)

school-related game jam events differ from game jam events organised for general

audience, mainly due to participants’ and organisers’ underlying roles as students and

teachers, and 5) game jam events are needed in schools not only because they

promote 21st century competence but because they can promote equality and

democracy, and because they offer a pedagogically valid method for learning about

games and game culture.



The findings reveal a profound problem in the Finnish educational system, likely

similar in other educational systems. Organising game jam events in schools faces

the same obstacles as most project-based, learner-centred, and integrated learning.

The system is built on a clear distinction between school subjects, and several school

practices like classes and timetables are dependent on this division. The more rigid

these practices are, the more difficult it is to organise anything else than subjectspecific,

teacher-led learning. This, with the lack of resources, the overemphasised

importance of grades, and the curricular overload, explains in part why 21st century

competence is so hard to further in formal education.},

keywords = {Affordance, Education, Game jam, Game jam organizers},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {phdthesis}

}

Educational systems worldwide aim to further the so-called 21st century or futureoriented
competence. This competence consists of knowledge and skills deemed
necessary in the constantly changing world and working life, as well as the capability
and will to use the skills and knowledge. Several facets of the 21st century
competence, like creativity, adaptability, and learning-to-learn skills that do not
directly belong to any specific school subject or discipline, have been noted as hard
to teach in general formal education.

Games and game culture have become increasingly ubiquitous. For several people,
and for most adolescents, games are an everyday pastime. With the rise of playing
games, making games as a hobby has proliferated. Game jam events, where people
gather to create games together, have grown in popularity since the first recorded
game jam event in 2002. Research on game jamming shows learning to be a
significant motivation to participate in game jams and an important outcome for
most game jam participants. Research further connects these learning outcomes with
several areas of 21st century competence, although the results have mainly been
tentative and preliminary, and the studied game jams have mainly been organised
outside of general formal education, with mostly adult informants.

This dissertation studies game jam events organised as part of general formal
education. The work presents an iterative, hermeneutic educational design research
project that yields 1) theoretical understanding of game jam events in school use and
2) a practical product, a guideline for organising game jam events as part of general
formal education, in schools, and for the purposes of learning and teaching. The
research was carried out in Finland, and the three main iterations of the design,
school-related game jam events, were organised in general upper secondary schools
for students 16 to 19 years old. The study uses mainly qualitative methods: open
ended surveys, interviews, and observations of game jam events. The informants are
teachers from all educational levels and students at general upper secondary schools.

The findings show that 1) game jam learning belongs to the social constructivist and
constructionist pedagogical continuum, 2) game jam events fit schools best when the
school practicalities are flexible enough to organise project-based and integrated
learning, 3) game jam participation is likely to further 21st century competence, 4)
school-related game jam events differ from game jam events organised for general
audience, mainly due to participants’ and organisers’ underlying roles as students and
teachers, and 5) game jam events are needed in schools not only because they
promote 21st century competence but because they can promote equality and
democracy, and because they offer a pedagogically valid method for learning about
games and game culture.

The findings reveal a profound problem in the Finnish educational system, likely
similar in other educational systems. Organising game jam events in schools faces
the same obstacles as most project-based, learner-centred, and integrated learning.
The system is built on a clear distinction between school subjects, and several school
practices like classes and timetables are dependent on this division. The more rigid
these practices are, the more difficult it is to organise anything else than subjectspecific,
teacher-led learning. This, with the lack of resources, the overemphasised
importance of grades, and the curricular overload, explains in part why 21st century
competence is so hard to further in formal education.

2022

Siutila, Miia; Joelsson, Tapani; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti

”Mammat menee kahville, me koneelle”: Kilpapelaaminen poikien elämässä Journal Article

In: Nuorisotutkimus, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 41-60, 2022, ISSN: 0780-0886, (Embargoed until: 2023-07-01. Request copy from author.).

Abstract | Links | Tags: Asenteet, Boys, E-urheilu, Education, Elektroninen urheilu, Esports, Harrastukset, Kasvatus, Kilpaurheilu, Nuoret, Pelaaminen, Pojat, Upbringing, Verkkopelit, Videopelit, Youth

Mäyrä, Frans

Game Studies other

2022.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Culture, Discipline, Education, Games, Humanities, Interdisciplinarity, Research

2020

Korhonen, Tiina; Tiippana, Netta; Laakso, Noora; Meriläinen, Mikko; Hakkarainen, Kai

Growing Mind: Sociodigital Participation in and out of the School Context. Students' Experiences 2019 other

2020.

Links | Tags: Education, Learning environment, Sociodigital participation

Aurava, Riikka; Meriläinen, Mikko; Stenros, Jaakko

Teacher Views on Game Jamming in Formal General Education Proceedings Article

In: Fotaris, Panagiotis (Ed.): Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on Games Based Learning, pp. 31-38, ACI, 2020, ISBN: 978-1-912764-70-9.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Education, Game jam, Game pedagogy, Game-based learning, Game-based pedagogy, Pedagogy, Teacher attitudes

@inproceedings{Aurava2020,

title = {Teacher Views on Game Jamming in Formal General Education},

author = {Riikka Aurava and Mikko Meriläinen and Jaakko Stenros},

editor = {Panagiotis Fotaris},

doi = {10.34190/GBL.20.073},

isbn = {978-1-912764-70-9},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-09-24},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on Games Based Learning},

pages = {31-38},

publisher = {ACI},

abstract = {In game jam events games are created in collaboration and within design constraints, e.g. time limits and themes. Game jamming is a relatively novel pedagogical method, comparable to hackathons and other accelerated collaborative creation events. Earlier research suggests that game jams have a wide range of potential positive outcomes, such as learning in STEAM skills, working skills, and collaboration, as well as increasing participants' learning motivation and self-efficacy (Meriläinen et al. 2020). Still, game jams have not been widely used in general formal education. In general education jamming faces a variety of challenges, stemming from limitations in curricula, rigid school structures, assessment difficulties as well as potentially negative attitudes. Adoption depends largely on teachers: they are unlikely to use or endorse a method they do not view as valuable or practical. In this qualitative survey study of Finnish expert teachers, we map the pedagogical soundness of organizing game jam events in schools and the practical possibilities and obstacles to wider adoption of game jams in formal learning. The respondents, who had no previous game jam experience, participated in a pedagogical and reflective two-day game jam and completed a survey afterwards. This paper explores their views on both the pedagogical and the practical aspects of game jamming in classrooms as expressed in the survey. In an educational system where teachers choose their own methods and materials, as is usual in Finland, teacher views are especially important when introducing a new method. Game jamming was seen as a pedagogically suitable tool for teaching several 21st century skills, of which co-operational and communication skills were seen as most prominent. Most participants saw game jams as compatible with everyday school routines, albeit with caveats. The most important obstacle the teachers identified related to actual praxis: time restrictions regarding daily schedules. As with any new method, game jams require extra effort, and the practicalities related to the organization of jams add to the workload of teachers. As a solution, several participants suggested organizing game jams in conjunction with special themed days or weeks, as parts of learning projects or as a voluntary course or club.},

keywords = {Education, Game jam, Game pedagogy, Game-based learning, Game-based pedagogy, Pedagogy, Teacher attitudes},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

In game jam events games are created in collaboration and within design constraints, e.g. time limits and themes. Game jamming is a relatively novel pedagogical method, comparable to hackathons and other accelerated collaborative creation events. Earlier research suggests that game jams have a wide range of potential positive outcomes, such as learning in STEAM skills, working skills, and collaboration, as well as increasing participants' learning motivation and self-efficacy (Meriläinen et al. 2020). Still, game jams have not been widely used in general formal education. In general education jamming faces a variety of challenges, stemming from limitations in curricula, rigid school structures, assessment difficulties as well as potentially negative attitudes. Adoption depends largely on teachers: they are unlikely to use or endorse a method they do not view as valuable or practical. In this qualitative survey study of Finnish expert teachers, we map the pedagogical soundness of organizing game jam events in schools and the practical possibilities and obstacles to wider adoption of game jams in formal learning. The respondents, who had no previous game jam experience, participated in a pedagogical and reflective two-day game jam and completed a survey afterwards. This paper explores their views on both the pedagogical and the practical aspects of game jamming in classrooms as expressed in the survey. In an educational system where teachers choose their own methods and materials, as is usual in Finland, teacher views are especially important when introducing a new method. Game jamming was seen as a pedagogically suitable tool for teaching several 21st century skills, of which co-operational and communication skills were seen as most prominent. Most participants saw game jams as compatible with everyday school routines, albeit with caveats. The most important obstacle the teachers identified related to actual praxis: time restrictions regarding daily schedules. As with any new method, game jams require extra effort, and the practicalities related to the organization of jams add to the workload of teachers. As a solution, several participants suggested organizing game jams in conjunction with special themed days or weeks, as parts of learning projects or as a voluntary course or club.

2019

Aurava, Riikka; Murray, John; Kankainen, Ville

Why Won’t They Jam?: The Reasons for General Upper Secondary School Students for Not Attending a Game Jam Proceedings Article

In: Felicia, Patrick (Ed.): Proceedings of the 9th irish Conference on Game-Based Learning: iGBL2019, pp. 26-36, iGBL, 2019, ISBN: 9798649025898.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Adolescents, Attendance, Education, Game jam, General education, Non-attendance

@inproceedings{Aurava2019,

title = {Why Won’t They Jam?: The Reasons for General Upper Secondary School Students for Not Attending a Game Jam},

author = {Riikka Aurava and John Murray and Ville Kankainen},

editor = {Patrick Felicia},

url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202102091985},

isbn = {9798649025898},

year  = {2019},

date = {2019-06-27},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the 9th irish Conference on Game-Based Learning: iGBL2019},

pages = {26-36},

publisher = {iGBL},

abstract = {This short paper charts why potential participants decide not to participate in game jams. Specifically, we aim at finding reasons for adolescents, specifically Finnish general upper secondary school students, for not attending game jam events. In November 2018, we arranged a game jam in Tampere, at the University of Tampere, where the participants were students from three schools. From the possible pool of over 800 pupils, we had measly twelve registrations and due to cancellations, we only had eight participants, aged 17 and 18, in the jam. Although the jam event itself was successful, we wanted to know why only a fraction of invitees participated. Furthermore, we wanted to map the possible barriers to entry that prevented students from getting involved. To address this we conducted an online survey of all invitees in December 2018. Of the all possible participants 218 replied. This paper analyzes those results and discusses the implications of the results to future educational use of game jamming in formal education. Educators have in recent years tried to better teach the so called 21st century skills and competencies, which have been deemed essential for the new era (see e.g. Dede, 2007; Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). An increasing number of studies has shown that the skills acquired in game jam events closely resemble the 21st century skills: STEAM/STEM related and inter- and intrapersonal skills. Thus, it is also important to see if the game jam method could be applied to formal learning in schools. With this end in mind, we have organized several game jams in Finnish schools, namely in general upper secondary schools. The results are promising, showing that the benefits of game jams can indeed be transferred to formal learning. The number of the involved students has been small, which affects both the research and the goal we are trying to reach: spreading the benefits of game jamming to a larger audience. In this article, we aim at finding reasons for non-attendance.},

keywords = {Adolescents, Attendance, Education, Game jam, General education, Non-attendance},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

This short paper charts why potential participants decide not to participate in game jams. Specifically, we aim at finding reasons for adolescents, specifically Finnish general upper secondary school students, for not attending game jam events. In November 2018, we arranged a game jam in Tampere, at the University of Tampere, where the participants were students from three schools. From the possible pool of over 800 pupils, we had measly twelve registrations and due to cancellations, we only had eight participants, aged 17 and 18, in the jam. Although the jam event itself was successful, we wanted to know why only a fraction of invitees participated. Furthermore, we wanted to map the possible barriers to entry that prevented students from getting involved. To address this we conducted an online survey of all invitees in December 2018. Of the all possible participants 218 replied. This paper analyzes those results and discusses the implications of the results to future educational use of game jamming in formal education. Educators have in recent years tried to better teach the so called 21st century skills and competencies, which have been deemed essential for the new era (see e.g. Dede, 2007; Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). An increasing number of studies has shown that the skills acquired in game jam events closely resemble the 21st century skills: STEAM/STEM related and inter- and intrapersonal skills. Thus, it is also important to see if the game jam method could be applied to formal learning in schools. With this end in mind, we have organized several game jams in Finnish schools, namely in general upper secondary schools. The results are promising, showing that the benefits of game jams can indeed be transferred to formal learning. The number of the involved students has been small, which affects both the research and the goal we are trying to reach: spreading the benefits of game jamming to a larger audience. In this article, we aim at finding reasons for non-attendance.

2018

Koskimaa, Raine; Arjoranta, Jonne; Friman, Usva; Mäyrä, Frans; Sotamaa, Olli; Suominen, Jaakko

Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2018 Book

Pelitutkimuksen seura ry, 2018, ISSN: 1798-355X.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Education, Electronic sports, Game history, Kasvatus, Kilpapelaaminen, Mölkky, Outdoor game, Pelihistoria, Role-playing games, Roolipelit, Sportification, Ulkopeli, Urheilullistuminen, Video games, Videopelit

@book{Koskimaa2018,

title = {Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja 2018},

author = {Raine Koskimaa and Jonne Arjoranta and Usva Friman and Frans Mäyrä and Olli Sotamaa and Jaakko Suominen},

url = {https://www.pelitutkimus.fi/vuosikirja-2018},

issn = {1798-355X},

year  = {2018},

date = {2018-12-19},

publisher = {Pelitutkimuksen seura ry},

abstract = {Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja on vertaisarvioitu, avoin tiedejulkaisu.  Pelitutkimus on sekä monitieteinen tutkimusala että nuori akateeminen oppiaine, jonka parissa toimivien tutkijoiden huomion keskiössä on digitaalisten pelien erityisluonne. Suomessa tehdään korkeatasoista pelitutkimusta, jonka tulokset julkaistaan pääasiassa kansainvälisillä foorumeilla. Pelitutkimuksen vuosikirja tuo uusimpia tutkimustuloksia yleisön saataville myös suomeksi. Kuluneen vuoden aikana e-urheilu eli kilpapelaaminen on noussut huomattavasti aiempaa näkyvimmin esiin julkisuudessa. Erityisesti tähän ovat vaikuttaneet suomalaispelaajien saavuttamat voitot kansainvälisissä turnauksissa. Nyt julkaistussa, jo kymmenennessä vuosikirjassa, käsitellään kilpapelaamisen varhaisvaiheita Suomessa 1980-luvulta 1990-luvun puoliväliin artikkelissa, joka tarjoaa perspektiiviä kilpapelaamisesta parhaillaan käytävälle keskustelulle. Toisessa tutkimusartikkelissa vertaillaan mittavan kyselyaineiston (yhteensä yli 4000 vastaajaa) perusteella videopelien pelaamisesta kiinnostuneiden kotimaisten pelaajien pelimieltymyksiä ja -tottumuksia japanilaisten ja kanadalaisten vastaaviin ja todetaan suomalaisten pelaajien mm. suosivan erityisesti yksin tapahtuvaa voimakkaasti vuorovaikutteista pelaamista.



Vertaisarvioitujen tutkimusartikkelien lisäksi vuosikirjassa on katsausartikkeleita, jotka käsittelevät Mölkky-pelin MM-kisoja, pelin ja leikin asemaa uudessa kansallisessa opetussuunnitelmassa sekä kuvailun merkitystä Advanced Dungeons & Dragons –pöytäroolipelin The Temple of Elemental Evil –moduulissa. Vuosikirjassa julkaistaan myös neljän lähiaikoina Suomessa järjestetyn pelitutkimusaiheisen väitöstilaisuuden avausesitelmät. Vuosikirjan päättävät merkittävän leikki- ja pelitutkija Bernie De Kovenin muistokirjoitus sekä arvio kirjasta Fans and Videogames. Histories, Fandom, Archives.},

keywords = {Education, Electronic sports, Game history, Kasvatus, Kilpapelaaminen, Mölkky, Outdoor game, Pelihistoria, Role-playing games, Roolipelit, Sportification, Ulkopeli, Urheilullistuminen, Video games, Videopelit},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {book}

}

Majuri, Jenni; Koivisto, Jonna; Hamari, Juho

Gamification of Education and Learning: A Review of Empirical Literature Proceedings Article

In: Proceedings of the 2nd International GamiFIN Conference, GamiFIN 2018, pp. 11–19, 2018, ISSN: 16130073.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Education, Gamification

Tuomi, Pauliina; Multisilta, Jari; Saarikoski, Petri; Suominen, Jaakko

Coding Skills as a Success Factor for a Society Journal Article

In: Education and Information Technologies, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 419–434, 2018, ISSN: 15737608.

Abstract | Links | Tags: Coding, Computational thinking, Computer programming, Education, Maker culture