The Concept of Using Educational Computer Games in Teaching Legal Disciplines: A View from Russia

Abstract

The use of educational computer games in the context of the coronavirus pandemic is becoming increasingly popular in the educational process when studying a variety of disciplines. And if practical steps have been taken in this direction in technical, pedagogical, and some other sciences, then there is a doctrinal and practical gap in the teaching of legal disciplines that needs to be filled. The purpose of the study is to argue the prospects for the use of educational computer games at law faculties, which makes it possible to more effectively assess students’ knowledge, as well as increase their motivation to actively participate in the educational process. In the course of the study, methodology involved the theoretical and practical experience of developing educational computer games in various academic disciplines was summarized, the scientific literature and the existing practice of their use were analyzed, and the possible effect of introducing educational computer games into the educational process at law faculties after the development and implementation of such games in practice, including the first-generation educational computer game developed by the authors, was modeled. The research findings indicate formulation of a doctrinal concept of the use of educational computer games, identifies three of their generations, and shows the features of the development and application of each of them, including the author’s experience in developing a training computer game by right of the first generation. The authors analyzed the technical problems associated with the development of educational computer games and suggested ways to solve them. The authors’ proposals can be used by universities in any country to interact with game design studios to develop educational games.