A game scale to evaluate educational computer games

In last decades many studies in the literature are trying to identify the effectiveness of computer games in education. However the results of these attempts are controversial. In order to identify the effectiveness of games in education, it is needed to define the quality in the games. In this article the aim is to identify the quality of any educational computer game in terms of three main categories which are enjoyment, learning and usability. In order to evaluate quality in games a scale to evaluate educational computer games is developed which evaluates learning and enjoyment characteristics of educational computer games. The scale will be used by teachers in order to identify the quality of the computer games before applied to students. Moreover, to develop the scale, a game model is also created. The model explains properties of a qualified game in terms of learning, enjoyment and usability. The model includes three parts as input, process and outcome which identified by Garris, Ahler and Driskell (2002). Also the model has the Kolb's experiential learning cycle (Kolb, 1984) in the process part. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu