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The use of mobile games in formal

and informal learning environments: a
review of the literature
a b
George Koutromanos & Lucy Avraamidou
a
Faculty of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian
University of Athens, Athens, Greece
b
EducationUniversity of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Published online: 06 Mar 2014.
To cite this article: George Koutromanos & Lucy Avraamidou (2014) The use of mobile games
in formal and informal learning environments: a review of the literature, Educational Media
International, 51:1, 49-65, DOI: 10.1080/09523987.2014.889409
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2014.889409
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Educational Media International, 2014
Vol. 51, No. 1, 49–65, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2014.889409
The use of mobile games in formal and informal learning

environments: a review of the literature
George Koutromanosa* and Lucy Avraamidoub
a
Faculty of Primary Education, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens,
Greece; bEducation, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Downloaded by [Nat and Kapodistran Univ of Athens ] at 14:24 25 May 2014
(Received 21 November 2013; final version received 27 January 2013)
Our purpose in this paper is to review studies that explored the impact of the use
of mobile games in both formal and informal learning environments. Through a
review of studies on mobile learning that have been published between 2000 and
2013, we aim to identify the ways in which researchers used mobile games in a
variety of learning environments, and to synthesize current literature about the
impact of the use of mobile games on student achievement and attitudes towards
and learning. We first provide definitions of the constructs “mobile technolo-
gies,” “mobile games,” and “informal learning environments.” Following that,
we present the outcomes of our analysis by describing the purpose, the contexts,
and the findings of each of the studies we reviewed. We then offer general
conclusions that came out of our analysis and we offer some recommendations
for future research.
Keywords: mobile technologies; games; formal and informal environments
Introduction
Mobile learning has been conceptualized and studied by researchers around the
world, in the past few years, in myriads ways that entail a variety of frameworks
and methods. Avraamidou (2013) describes how many researchers have used the
term mobile learning to refer to the learning that takes places through an individual’s
interaction with a mobile device. A few other researchers have used the term “aug-
mented” learning to refer to the method where information is made available on
demand and where the environment adapts to the learner. Other researchers have
applied the term ubiquitous learning to describe some form of simple mobile learn-
ing, as for example, a learning environment that can be accessed in various contexts
and situations. In this paper, we use the term “mobile learning” to refer to the learn-
ing that occurs through interaction with a mobile device. Our purpose in this paper
is to review studies that explored the impact of the use of games in mobile devices
in both formal and informal learning environments on student achievement and atti-
tudes towards teaching and learning. More narrowly, through a review of studies on
mobile learning that have been published between 2000 and 2013, we aim to
respond to the following questions: (a) In what ways have researchers used mobile
games in a variety of learning environments to support student learning? (b) What
*Corresponding author. Email: koutro@math.uoa.gr
© 2014 International Council for Educational Media

50 G. Koutromanos and L. Avraamidou
does research evidence illustrate about the impact of the use of mobile games on
student achievement and attitudes towards teaching and learning?
In the sections that follow, we first provide definitions of the constructs “mobile
technologies,” “mobile games,” and “informal learning environments.” Following
that, we present the methodology we used to conduct the review of the literature.
We then present the outcomes of our analysis by describing the purpose, the con-
texts, and the findings of each of the studies we reviewed. We then offer general
conclusions that came out of our analysis and we offer some recommendations for
future research.
Mobile technologies and mobile games

According to a review about the use of mobile technologies in education, done at

the Futurelab (Naismith, Lonsdale, Vavoula, & Sharples, 2005), mobile wireless
devices can be used by school teachers for managing their schedules, reviewing stu-
dent marks, accessing central school data, attendance reporting, and providing
course material. More recently, mobile technologies, and particularly mobile games,
have been used in a variety of settings, both formal and informal, in support of stu-
dent learning. As the Latin origins (mobilis) of the term suggests, mobile learning
refers to learning that is able to move freely. The term has its origins on an essential
aspect of mobile technologies: mobility, which refers to continuous use without
limitation of time and location. As defined by Quinn (2000), “mobile learning is
learning through mobile computational devices.”
Seppala and Alamaki (2003) summarized the distinctive features of mobile learn-
ing in that it takes place at any location, and not necessarily in the classroom, and
that it enables learners to enter an information network by using a portable learning
device and a wireless network. As summarized by Avraamidou (2008), a review of
the literature indicates that the use of mobile wireless devices has been one of the
main trends in education the past few years (Avraamidou, 2013; Kukulska-Hulme,
2005; McGhee & Kozma, 2001). Researchers have argued that these technologies
have the potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness in teaching and learning
(Dubendorf, 2003) and to challenge the essence of face-to-face teaching and learning
(Kukulska-Hulme, 2005). In examining the benefits of mobile wireless technologies
in education, Kim, Mims, and Holmes (2006) summarized those in the following:
(a) mobility, which is associated with the advantage of accessing information any-
time, anywhere; (b) information management capacity, which is associated with the
digitization of information and electronic-based management; and (c) beaming capa-
bility which allows the sharing of files instantly and in real-time.
The advantages of mobile technologies let many researchers, as described next,
to examine the use of mobile games within a various learning environments, both
formal and informal. Mobile games can be defined as “embedded, downloaded, or
networked games conducted in handled devices” (Jeong & Kim, 2009, p. 290) such
as personal digital assistants (PDA), portable media players (e.g. iPods), smart-
phones, and Tablet PCs (Jeong & Kim, 2009; Quan-yin, Yin, Chengjie, & Rui,
2011). The new mobile devices have a wide range of connectivity features, includ-
ing infrared, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 4G. In recent years, mobile games have gained
increasing attention compared to other gaming platforms such as console, PC, and
arcade games. The reason for the rapid growth of mobile games is the mobility,
accessibility, networkability, and simplicity of the mobile devices. These games can
Educational Media International 51
be played anytime and anywhere (Jeong & Kim, 2009; Soomro, Ahmad, &
Sulaiman, 2013).
Mobile games range from basic (e.g. Tetris) to sophisticated (e.g. 3D games).
The first mobile game, the Snake, was embedded in Nokia mobile phone in 1997.
Augmented reality games are the latest mobile gaming trend. These games combine
“a technology in which the user’s view of the real world is enhanced with virtual
objects that appears to coexist in the same space as real objects” (Santos, Romão,
Dias, & Centieiro, 2013, p. 382).
An examination of existing literature shows that there have been quite a few
studies on the use of mobile games in education (e.g. Boyle, Connolly, Hainey, &
Boyle, 2012; Connolly, Boyle, MacArthur, Hainey, & Boyle, 2012; Papastergiou,
2009), however, missing remains a thorough review of this existing literature that
summarizes the findings of these studies and offers conclusions about the use of
mobile games within various learning environments. This paper aims to address this
gap as it synthesizes the findings of existing studies about the use of mobile games
in education and offers recommendations for future research.
Informal learning environments

In recent years, a number of researchers and institutions around the world have
shown interest in the learning that takes place in informal learning environments
(e.g. Museums) or out-of-school settings (e.g. science camps), and which operates
across a broad range of contexts and disciplines and reaches out to people of all ages
(e.g. Aubusson, Griffin & Kearney, 2012; Dillon, 2012; Kisiel, 2012; Kong, Dadney
& Tai, 2013; Murmann, & Avraamidou, 2014; Rahm, 2010). The policy statement
of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching Ad Hoc Committee
on Informal Science Learning (Dierking, Falk, Rennie, Anderson, & Ellenbogen,
2003) describes the broad nature of learning to emphasize value of learning that hap-
pens in out-of-school settings:
Learning rarely, if ever, occurs and develops from a single experience. Rather, learning
in general, and science learning in particular, is cumulative, emerging over time
through myriad human experiences, including, but not limited to, experiences in muse-
ums, schools, while watching television, reading newspapers and books, conversing
with friends and family, and increasingly frequently, through interactions with the
Internet. The experiences children and adults have in these various situations dynami-
cally interact to influence the ways individuals construct scientific knowledge, attitudes,
behaviors and understanding. In this view, learning is an organic, dynamic, never-end-
ing, and quite holistic phenomenon of constructing personal meaning. This broad view
of learning recognizes that much of what people come to know about the world,
including the world of science content and process, derives from real world experi-
ences within a diversity of appropriate physical and social contexts, motivated by an
intrinsic desire to learn. (p. 109)
Museums, after-school programs, and everyday life settings such as the commu-
nity and the family environment offer unique educational environments and provide
exciting opportunities for learning (Avraamidou, 2013; Falk, 2004; Falk & Dierking,
2000; Griffin, 1994; Hein, 1998; Rennie, 1994). It is such reasons that led us to
explore in this paper the idea of the use of mobile games within informal learning
environments in support of student learning.
Methodology
As stated earlier, the purpose of this paper is to review studies that explored the
impact of the use of games in mobile devices in both formal and informal learning
environments on student achievement and attitudes. For the purpose of this review,
a literature search was conducted in the following international online bibliographic
databases: (a) ISI Web of Knowledge, (b) Scopus, (c) ERIC, and (d) EdITLib Digital
Library for Information Technology and Education. The time period covered in this
search was January 2000 (based on the assumptions that the use of mobile games is
a new idea and hence there would not be literature available prior to 2000) to
August 2013.
The search terms that were used in searching the literature were the following:
“mobile games and formal and informal learning”; “games and mobile devices”;
“iPhone OR Tablet PC and games.” These terms were narrowed down further by
focusing on studies that: (a) included empirical evidence relating to the effects of
use of games in mobile devices in formal and/or informal learning environments; (b)
focused in primary and secondary education; (c) were published in refereed aca-
demic journals; and (d) the games that used in studies were designed specifically
with a learning objective. Using these four criteria, 11 papers met the criteria for
inclusion in the review presented in this paper. These selected papers are presented
in Table 1 in terms of: name of authors; the main aims/objectives of study; the name
of the game(s) and brief description of them; the research design; the sample, the
device types; and the learning environments and major findings.
Review of studies on mobile games

In our analysis of the studies on the use of mobile games in support of student learn-
ing within formal and informal environments, various important findings were
revealed. Researchers have used a variety of mobile games, in a variety of environ-
ments, and for a variety of purposes. Some researchers report findings that provide
evidence of the impact of the use of mobile games on students’ learning, on the
development of students’ skills, and others on students’ attitudes towards learning.
Below, we summarize the findings of these studies, also presented in Table 1.
One of the papers looked at how mobile games can be designed specifically for
outdoors learning. In this study, Facer et al. (2004) investigated whether the combi-
nation of different futures of mobile and games technologies could encourage the
development of children’s conceptual understanding of animal behavior and interac-
tion with the environment. In this early study, a mobile game was designed, named
“Savannah.” Its objective was to enable children to learn about lion behavior
through the use of PDAs and global positioning systems (GPSs). The game con-
sisted of two related areas of activity. The first, involved the use of GPSs linked to
PDAs through which the children “see,” “hear,” and “smell” the world of the Savan-
nah as they moved around various zones in the playing field, acting like a pride of
lions. The second activity area, the “Den,” was an indoors space where children
could reflect on how well they had succeeded in the game, develop their strategies,
and access resources to support their understanding for surviving as lions in the vir-
tual environment. An exploratory study for two days was conducted with two
groups of children of secondary school (five boys and five girls) aged between 11
and 12 years. Facer et al. (2004) reported that analyses of their data provided
Table 1. Previous studies that used games in mobile devices in various environments.
Aims/objectives Name of the game(s)/ Research Device Learning
Author(s) of study brief description design Sample types environments Findings
Furió et al. To develop an Not mentioned/An Survey; a Study 1: 150 iPhone Non formal The children
(2013b) iPhone game; to iPhone game that comparative professionals in (summer achieved similar
examine whether the combines Augmented study education, 68% school) knowledge
iPhone game has Reality with video females and 32% improvements using
better learning games males; both the iPhone
outcomes than a Study 2: 84 children game and the
traditional game ranging in age from traditional game. The
8 to 10 years old majority of the
children would like
to play with the
iPhone game again.
In addition, they
preferred the
experience with the
iPhone game over
the traditional one
Furió et al. To compare which Not mentioned/A A 79 children from iPhone Non-formal The differences of
(2013a) device (iPhone or mobile AR game for comparative 8 to 10 years old and Tablet (summer the devices did not
Tablet PC) was better learning about the study PC school) influence the
suited for fun and water cycle, water children’s acquired
learning; to composition, and knowledge,
determine if children water pollution. The engagement,
acquired new game was developed satisfaction, ease of
knowledge after for iPhone and Tablet use, or Augmented
playing the game PC devices Reality experience.
However, there was
only a statistically
significant difference
for the global score
in which the iPhone
53
was scored higher
(Continued )
Table 1. (Continued ).
54

Sánchez To implement a Evolution/The game Quasi- 10 eighth-grade Classmate Formal and Students in the
and series of learning consists of four experimental classes from 5 mobile informal experimental group
Olivares activities based on environments, each different schools devices (museum achieved a higher
(2011) Mobile Serious related to one animal and zoo) perception of their
Games for the class (fishes, own collaboration
development of amphibians, reptiles skills and a higher
problem solving and and birds), and each score in the plan
collaborative skills in class has three execution dimension
primary students species: light, of the problem
medium, and heavy solving cycle than
BuinZoo and did the students in
Museum/These are the non-equivalent
trivia games for control group
G. Koutromanos and L. Avraamidou
Classmate mobile
devices that guide the
visit to a zoo and a
museum respectively,
and which allow to
work concepts related
to curricular content
“Evolution of
species”
Klopfer To design and Weatherlings/It is a Survey 20 students aged 10 Mobile Informal Students were
et al. evaluate a UbiqGame game designed to go or 11 phones engaged by the game
(2011) (casual, mobile and along with a more and were interested
educational game) traditional curriculum in learning more
unit on weather and about academic
climate to help content topics,
students gain specifically weather
familiarity with and and climate, after
practice using skills playing the game
related to those topics
Liao et al. To explore the design My My-Mini-Pet/It is Pre-post and Nine 10-year-old PDA Formal The results showed
(2011) and the development a handheld pet- delay tests, fourth-grade students that the use of the
of a handheld pet- nurturing game observations, My-Mini-Pet in PDA
nurturing game with environment, in interviews device can produce
a learning which students learn positive learning
environment; to with an animal outcomes and engage
examine the learning companion, students in learning
influence of the game their My-Mini-Pet activities. Moreover,
prototype students’ attention
was attracted and
their discussion
between peers was
highly stimulated
Liu and To investigate how Handheld English Quasi- 64 seventh grade PDA Formal The results showed
Chu ubiquitous games Language Learning experimental students, 13 or 14 phones that the experimental
(2010) influence English Organization years of age, and 3 group achieved better
learning achievement (HELLO)/HELLO high school teachers learning outcomes
and motivation helps students to into the English
through a context- engage in learning learning and
aware ubiquitous activities based on motivation than the
learning environment the ARCS motivation control group
theory, involving
various educational
strategies, including
ubiquitous game-
based learning,
collaborative
learning, and context
aware learning
(Continued )
55
56

Akkerman A mobile and Frequency 1550/ Observations, 216 students ranged UMTS/ Informal According to
et al. multimedia game This game was based group in age from 12 to 16 GPS Akkerman et al
(2009) designed for History in Amsterdam and interview, years old phones (2009) “these types
education was taught players the logs, etc. of storification
analyzed in terms of history of that processes differently
how it is designed particular area affected students’
and how it was engagement.
applied as a narrative Participating in the
learning environment story evoked high
activity in the game
but less awareness of
the whole story,
whereas constructing
the story triggered

awareness of the
whole story.
Compared to
receiving the story,
both these types
positively affected
the engagement of
the students being
active and motivated
during the game” (p.
449)
Huizenga To investigate the Frequency 1550/ Quasi- 458 pupils ranged in UMTS/ Formal and Pupils who played
et al. effects of a mobile This game was based experimental age from 12 to 16 GPS informal the game reported
(2009) city game in terms of in Amsterdam and years old phones more engagement
pupil engagement in taught players the and knowledge about
the game, historical medieval Amsterdam
knowledge, and history of that compared to the ones

motivation for particular area who received regular
History in general project based
and the topic of the instruction. In
Middle Ages in addition, no
particular significant
differences were
found between the
two groups with
respect to motivation
for History or the
Middle Ages
Lim and To describe the EcoRangers/ It is a Trial 50 Grade 9 students Mobile Formal and Students gave a
Wang trialing of a new multi-player game from Secondary phones informal positive feedback
(2005) form of cooperative designed to run on Schools about the
learning strategy, in mobile phones. It is EcoRangers game
the form of a game designed to help The collaboration
known as students practice between students
EcoRangers skills of relevance to helped them learn not
the social studies only in the
syllabus for Grades 9 educational world but
and 10 also social situations
as well
Klopfer To compare Palm Virus/An Experimental Two high schools Mobile Formal This study showed
et al. and wearable epidemiological (one public N = 71 in phones that Participatory
(2004) computers for simulation four classes, and one Simulations on Palms
participatory LLAP/A simulation private N = 117 and Tag-based
simulations of Mendelian genetic students in six simulations managed
inheritance classes) were to engage equally
selected for the students’
(Continued )
57
58

LLAP, while one collaboration in a
(private N = 82 complex problem-
students in five solving task
classes) middle
school was selected
for the Virus game.
Facer et al. To examine whether Savannah/It is Exploratory 10 children aged GPSs, Formal Students felt that
(2004) the combination of designed to study between 11 and 12 PDAs they were actually
different features of encourage the years experiencing the
mobile and games development of game. In addition,
technologies could children’s conceptual they were identifying
encourage the understanding of with their new roles
development of animal behavior as lions which they

children’s conceptual found highly
understanding of engaging
animal behavior and
interaction with the
environment
evidence that suggest that the 10 students felt that they were actually experiencing
the game. In addition, they were identifying with their new roles as lions which they
found highly engaging.
Other researchers reported findings on studies that used mobiles devices in loca-
tion-based games, which are designed to play in public spaces like streets and muse-
ums. In the first study, Akkerman, Admiraal, and Huizenga (2009) analyzed a
mobile and multimedia game for History education called Frequency 1550 in terms
of how it is designed and how it was applied as a narrative learning environment.
Frequency 1550 is a mobile city game that uses UMTS/GPS phones to let students
of the secondary schools actively learn about by walking around and playing in
Amsterdam’s city center. This game was played for one day in groups by 216 stu-
dents. Results indicated that students participated in three types of storification:
receiving, constructing, and participating in the story. According to Akkerman et al.

(2009)
these types of storification processes differently affected students’ engagement. Partici-

pating in the story evoked high activity in the game but less awareness of the whole
story, whereas constructing the story triggered awareness of the whole story. Compared
to receiving the story, both these types positively affected the engagement of the stu-
dents being active and motivated during the game. (p. 449)
This finding is important as it points to the implications of the story-line design and
how those impact student engagement.
In the second study, Huizenga, Admiraal, Akkerman, and ten Dam (2009) exam-
ined the effects of Frequency 1550 game, on 458 pupil’s engagement in the game,
historical knowledge, and motivation for History in general and the topic of the
Middle Ages in particular. This quasi-experimental study used pupils from 20 clas-
ses from five schools. The students in 10 of the classes played the Frequency 1550
game (Experimental group) with the aid of mobile smart phones, video phones, and
GPS technology. The pupils in the other 10 classes received a regular, project-based
lesson series (Control group). This study showed that students who played the game
reported more engagement and knowledge about medieval Amsterdam compared to
the ones who received regular project based instruction.
In a related study, Sánchez and Olivares (2011) investigated the hypothesis that
Mobile Serious Games (MSG)-based learning activities can contribute to the devel-
opment of problem-solving and collaboration skills, the improvement of perceptions
of science, and increasing the motivation for learning among primary education stu-
dents. In their study, three MSG (Evolution, Museum, and BuinZoo) were designed
and developed for use in Classmate mobile devices. In addition, a series of MSG-
based learning activities were designed. These games and learning activities were
related to the content of the science curriculum for eighth grade Chilean education.
A quasi-experimental design was used. The sample of this study was made up of 10
eighth-grade classes from five different schools, with two eighth-grade classes from
each school. The study lasted for three months where the students in the experimen-
tal group carried out multiple MSG-based learning activities in formal and informal
environment (e.g. Museum). The results showed that using MSG-based learning
activities students could achieve a higher perception of their own collaboration skills
and a higher score in the plan execution dimension of the problem-solving cycle
than non-using gaming method.
Moreover, a study by Liao, Chen, Cheng, Chen, and Chan (2011) explored the
design and the development of a handled pet-nurturing learning game entitled the
My-Mini-Pet system. This is a game for PDA devices in which students learn with
an animal learning companion, their My-Mini-Pet. The game was developed by
three strategies. These were the pet-nurturing strategy, the pet appearance-changing
strategy, and the pet feedback strategy. These strategies aimed students to learn more
about their pets and to develop their responsibility. In addition, their study examined
the effectiveness and experiences of the strategies on allowing the student to under-
stand arithmetic practices. Nine 10-year-old fourth-grade students (six males and
three females) participated in a pilot study. It took place in the classroom of an ele-
mentary school in Taiwan. The results showed that the use of the My-Mini-Pet in
PDA device can produce positive learning outcomes and engage students in learning
activities. Moreover, students’ attention was attracted and their discussion between
peers was highly stimulated.
A more recent study by Furió, González-Gancedo, Juan, Seguí, and Rando
(2013b) also focused on issues concerned with the development and implementation
of game that can be delivered with mobile devices. Furió et al. (2013b) conducted a
study with two phases to determine whether an iPhone game has better learning out-
comes than a traditional game. In the first phase, they developed an iPhone game
using the experiential learning theory of Kolb and Gardner’s theory of multiple intel-
ligences. The subject of the game was multiculturalism, tolerance, and solidarity. In
the second phase, a study, with 84 children ranging in age from 8 to 10 years old
who attended a summer school, was carried out where the iPhone game was
compared to traditional games. The results showed that children achieved similar
knowledge improvements using both the iPhone game and the traditional game.
Nevertheless, the results of the study indicated that the majority of children would
like to play with the iPhone game again, and preferred its experience over the
traditional one.
Two other studies focused on the differences between devices in students’
learning. Most specifically, in 2004, Klopfer, Yoon, and Rivas (2004) compared the
learning outcomes of wearable computers and Palm hand-helds (PDAs) using the
same pedagogical strategy of Participatory Simulations. “Participatory Simulations
use small wearable or hand-held computers to engage participants in simulations that
enable inquiry and experimentation … allowing students to act out the simulation
themselves” (Klopfer et al., 2004, p. 347). Students from two high schools (one pub-
lic and one private) played the LLAP, a genetic Participatory Simulation and stu-
dents from a private school played the Virus game, an epidemiological simulation.
The ages of both groups were from 14 to 16 years old. Within each school, half of
the students were randomly to play the games to either the wearable computers or
Palms in their classrooms. This study showed that Participatory Simulations on
Palms and Tag-based simulations managed to engage equally students’ collaboration
in a complex problem-solving task. Students felt that their experiences with the
mobile devices were highly enjoyable and productive. In addition, students believed
that the technology positively impacted their learning. In general, the findings of this
study showed that this Palm technology not only motivated students, but also helped
them to understand the relationship between science and technology.
More recently, Furió, González-Gancedo, Juan, Seguí, and Costa (2013a)
developed an educational game for an iPhone and a Tablet PC. This is a mobile
Augmented Reality (AR) game for learning about the water cycle, water
composition, and water pollution. It combined AR mini-games with non-AR

mini-games for better gameplay immersion. One of the objectives of their study was
to determine if children acquired new knowledge after playing the game with the
two devices. Another objective was to compare the effectiveness of the two devices
(i.e. iPhone or Tablet PC) on the children regarding the acquired knowledge, satis-
faction, and interaction. The main differences between the iPhone and the Tablet PC
were screen size and weight. A comparative study was carried out in a summer
school of a university of Spain with 79 children from 8 to 10 years. Furió et al.
(2013a) found that playing with the game very positively affected the learning out-
comes of the children. In addition, they found that the differences of the devices did
not influence the children’s acquired knowledge, engagement, satisfaction, ease of
use, or AR experience. The scores for the two devices and for all the questions were
very high. However, Furió et al. (2013a) found that there was only a statistically
significant difference for the global score in which the device of iPhone was scored
higher. The researchers concluded that games of this kind could be appropriate
educational games and that the mobile device used may not be a decisive factor.
Another game in which students interacted through their devices is “Weather-
lings” (Klopfer, Sheldon, Perry, & Chen, 2011) whose content related to weather
and climate. This is a collectible card battle game designed to run on mobile phones
in which players pit their decks of weather-dependent cards against other players’
decks. Weatherlings is a genre of mobile, casual and educational game, which is
called UbiqGames. UbiqGames are
based on casual design, which enables them to fit more easily into the formal school
setting by being played in short, frequent bursts throughout the day. In addition, their
browser-based nature enables students to utilize the games not only from a wide
variety of mobile devices they may carry with them but also from desktop, laptop, or
netbook computers – making access to the games ubiquitous across time and devices.
(Klopfer et al., 2011, p. 1)
Klopfer et al. (2011) used Weatherlings in order to explore how students use outside
of class educational games in light of additional distractions on their devices, and
how game design can make those games appealing, educationally useful, and practi-
cal. Twenty volunteers, Singaporean students, aged 10 or 11 participated in this
study for four days. During these days, students borrowed mobile phones that pro-
vided them with anytime, anywhere access to Weatherlings via the mobile browser.
The results of this study showed that students were engaged by the game and were
interested in learning more about academic content topics, specifically weather and
climate, after playing the game.
A study conducted by Liu and Chu (2010) investigated how ubiquitous games
influence English learning achievement and motivation through a context-aware
ubiquitous learning environment. This study developed an English curriculum by
using a context-aware ubiquitous learning environment called the Handheld English
Language Learning Organization (HELLO). HELLO aimed to help “students to
engage in learning activities based on the ARCS motivation theory, involving vari-
ous educational strategies, including ubiquitous game-based learning, collaborative
learning, and context aware learning” (Liu & Chu, 2010, p. 630). A quasi-experi-
mental design was used with 64 seventh-grade students, 13 or 14 years of age. The
students in the experimental group employed the HELLO to play ubiquitous games
in which they used PDA phones whereas the students in the control group used a
non-gaming approach. The results showed that the experimental group achieved
better learning outcomes into the English learning and motivation than the control
group.
In a related study, Lim and Wang (2005) trialed of a new form of cooperative
learning strategy in the form of a game called EcoRangers. This game designed for
mobile phones and its aim is to help students practice skills of relevance to the
social studies, specifically through the pedagogical strategy in which students debate
an open-ended problem from a variety of perspectives. The trialing was done in
three secondary schools among 50, ninth-grade students. The results of this study
showed that students gave a positive feedback about the EcoRangers game. For
example, they thought that the game gave them an understanding of topics taught in
both social studies and geography. In addition, it helped them in their understanding
of social studies and to improve their debating skills. Also, gave them the opportu-
nity to apply geographical and sociological concepts that they had learned.
Concluding, the findings of the above studies offer useful insights and collec-
tively provide evidence to support the claim that the use of games in mobile devices
offers a range of advantages. Perhaps, the most prevalent finding one can draw from
the above is how the use of game support student engagement in activities and
supports them in developing positive attitudes toward learning. These are further
discussed in the next section.
Conclusions and recommendations

Our purpose in this paper was to contribute toward the establishment of the use of
mobile games as learning tools in the context of a variety of formal and informal
learning environments. Our work in reviewing existing literature on the use of
games in education contributes to the field of mobile technologies and education in
that unlike existing work on digital games (e.g. Boyle, Connolly, Hainey, & Boyle,
2012; Connolly, Boyle, MacArthur, Hainey, & Boyle, 2012; Papastergiou, 2009) it
focuses on an examination of the use of games embedded in mobile technologies
and used in a variety of learning environments.
Based on our review of existing literature on the use of mobile games, a few
interesting findings have been revealed. First, it became evident that the majority of
these studies have used mobile games embedded on previous generation technolo-
gies instead of tablets or smart phones, which seems to be the most recent trend in
educational settings (e.g. Martin et al., 2011; Wu et al., 2012). These advanced tech-
nologies offer a range of advantages over the previous generation technologies, in
terms of graphics, voice recognition, Internet speed, and touch screens. Second, the
review of existing literature showed that a few researchers have examined the use of
mobile games in the context of formal learning environments, and a few others
within the context of informal learning environment. However, we found no studies
that use these two contexts combined. The combination of formal and informal
learning environments has been proposed and argued by researchers as an empower-
ing approach to providing quality education (e.g. Toh, So, Seow, Chen, & Looi,
2013). Third, the review of the literature illustrate that the majority of studies are sit-
uated within the secondary education context, leaving a gap of literature when it
comes to younger students. Fourth, our review of existing literature showed that the
majority of these studies were conducted in the context of science and history,
leaving a gap of knowledge for other subjects.
As shown in our review of existing literature, there exists a consensus among

researchers that mobile games offer a range of advantages. These are summarized in
the following:
They support student learning and engagement in various ways.

They offer unique and contemporary learning opportunities.
They offer opportunities for hands-on activities.
Story-lines provide opportunities for students for role-playing.
They offer opportunities for teaching within informal learning environments.
They promote collaboration and interaction.
They offer opportunities for understanding the relationship between science
and technology.
They offer opportunities for developing various skills such as constructing

arguments and debating skills.
Given their sociocultural nature and status, mobile games hold a great potential
for enhancing motivation, interest, interaction, and engagement. Even though the
argument for the use of mobile games as a learning tool in both formal and informal
learning environment is compelling, as exemplified in this paper, it raises more ques-
tions than answers given that this research area remains largely unexplored. Built
upon this view, we recommend that future research be directed in this area, and spe-
cifically toward responding to the following questions: What implications the use of
mobile games holds for learning in both formal and informal learning environments?
Put differently, how do mobile-games educational designs look like? What kinds of
characteristics do they have? What theories of learning inform the design of mobile-
games educational designs? How does the context or the learning environment
inform the design of the mobile games and the educational design? What is the role
of the teacher in the learning environment within which mobile games are used? In
this paper, we offer a few specific examples of the use of mobile games in a variety
of learning environments. More concrete examples about a variety of concepts and
within a variety of settings and subjects are needed, in order to construct a more
comprehensive understanding about the use of mobile games in formal and informal
learning environments.
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The use of mobile games in formal

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The use of mobile games in formal and informal learning

(Received 21 November 2013; ﬁnal version received 27 January 2013)

*Corresponding author. Email: koutro@math.uoa.gr

© 2014 International Council for Educational Media

Mobile technologies and mobile games

According to a review about the use of mobile technologies in education, done at

Informal learning environments

Review of studies on mobile games

was scored higher

Aims/objectives Name of the game(s)/ Research Device Learning

Aims/objectives Name of the game(s)/ Research Device Learning

the story triggered

knowledge, and history of that compared to the ones

Aims/objectives Name of the game(s)/ Research Device Learning

development of animal behavior as lions which they

receiving, constructing, and participating in the story. According to Akkerman et al.

these types of storiﬁcation processes differently affected students’ engagement. Partici-

composition, and water pollution. It combined AR mini-games with non-AR

Conclusions and recommendations

As shown in our review of existing literature, there exists a consensus among

 They support student learning and engagement in various ways.

 They offer opportunities for developing various skills such as constructing

museums. Science Education, 88, S83–S96.

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They support student learning and engagement in various ways.

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