Investigating the Role of Digital Game-Based Learning in Enhancing Learners‟ Social and Emotional Skills

Abstract

The way of teaching and learning has changed nowadays; new pedagogies and tools are implemented in the classroom in order to facilitate the learning process and to develop certain skills of learners. Digital game based learning is one of the innovative approaches to learning and teaching, which is considered as an effective way to enhance learners‟ social and emotional skills. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of digital game based learning in enhancing social emotional skills of learners and to determine learners and teacher attitude toward this new pedagogy. In our research digital game based learning was conducted with 65 students at the level of Ammour Djaloul second year Middle School in Mostaganem. The methodology used in order to conduct this research included observation of learners attitude before and during the experiment that lasted for four weeks with second year middle school students, and a questionnaire that was handed to both teacher and students. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyse the collected data. The findings show that teacher and learners had a positive attitude toward the use of digital game based learning and that DGBL is an effective tool to enhance learners‟ social emotional skills, the findings also show that DGBL provided the atmosphere for learners to collaborate, co-operate, solve problems, communicate and negotiate meanings.