Defining Microgames in Education Context

Abstract

The concept of microgaming in education is relatively new and it has evident potential for supporting learning in various learning environments. However, there is little consensus in the education literature on how microgames are defined. The present article proposes a conceptual definition of microgames by considering related terms and learning approaches in education. Microgames in education context are defined as very small and short games that provide brief engagement and meaningful experience for players, support learning and instruction toward specific objectives, and integrate with existing resources. This article further elaborates the key definition elements to indicate microgame characteristics and provides some examples to demonstrate the kinds of games that fit this definition. The proposed definition acts as a fundamental starting point to study microgames for educational purposes in the future.