Three Learning Potentials in Digital Games: Perception of Malaysian University Teachers

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate university teachers’ perceptions of the potential benefits, or the lack of them, in digital games for learning and teaching in higher education institutions in Malaysia. The survey was conducted by emailing the questionnaire, to which 273 teachers responded online. The study sought to find answers to a fundamental question: How do university teachers in Malaysia view digital games as motivational, collaborative and instructional tools? Moreover, it looked into how do university teachers differ in their views about digital games by such variables as age, gender, academic discipline and other independent variables. The study undertook a descriptive analysis along with t-test and ANOVA to examine possible relationships between teachers’ attitudes and their demographic information. The results showed a consistent pattern throughout where the majority of surveyed university teachers exhibited a favorable perception of the usage of digital games in higher education. It is noteworthy that the only variable that influenced such perception was the respondents' previous experience (or lack of it) in using digital game. The t-test and ANOVA results showed no relationships between respondents' demographic characteristics such as gender and age and favorable or unfavorable attitudes towards digital game usage in learning and teaching. Even though the majority of responding teachers had favorable attitude towards using digital games in their teaching , in practice fewer of them had used them for that purpose.