Video Game Playing and Literacy: A Survey of Young People Aged 11 to 16. A National Literacy Trust Research Report

National Literacy Trust. Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ, UK. Tel: +44-2078-282435; Fax: +44-2079-319986; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk

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31

Video Games; Adolescents; Preadolescents; Foreign Countries; Literacy; Reading Attitudes; Reading Motivation; Reading Skills; Writing (Composition); Interpersonal Communication; Friendship; Writing Attitudes; Time; Preferences; Books; Self Esteem; Empathy; Learning; Psychological Patterns; Age Differences; Gender Differences; Socioeconomic Status

Video games are a significant cultural and creative force, often involving a number of art forms, including narrative, design and audio composition. They have been the subject of a large-scale exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museums in London and Dundee, while the British Games Institute (BGI) was set up to support video game culture in 2019. The National Literacy Trust recognises the importance of technology as a tool for teaching literacy skills, and the way that technology can be used to support and enrich the literacy lives of children and young people is an integral part of our research and programme work. While a considerable number of international studies and reviews have explored game-based learning, fewer have focused specifically on video games and children's literacy. The following report outlines findings from a short survey of young people conducted in late 2019. The survey received 4,626 responses from young people aged 11 to 16 across the UK. This was intended to serve as a preliminary investigation of young people's literacy-related interactions both within, and in relation to, video games. Further qualitative work is planned to complement these early findings, to contribute to the evidence base investigating the potential for video games to engage children and young people with literacy.

ERIC

2020

ED607911