Abstract
The existence of several sites for education is recognized in contemporary society. Game Jams (GJ), contexts of video game creation, have been studied as places where the educational can emerge. This paper presents a literature review, which integrates studies on the relationship between game jams and education. Few studies have been conducted, mobilizing qualitative methods, and exploring the perceptions and perspectives of the participants on how education develops and takes shape in these contexts. This paper draws on data from a focused, multi-sited ethnographic study, developed in the context of 5 GJ, and on data from 8 focus groups, conducted synchronously online, with participants from GJ. The results of the analysis reveal the emergence of four analytical dimensions, which identify the educational motivations for participating in GJ and the characteristics of the lived educational experience; the perceptions about the educational outcomes and effects of the experience; the educational methods, strategies and resources perceived to be present; and the perceptions about the relational and social climate experienced in the GJ. These analytical dimensions enabled us to explore an understanding of GJ as new educational sites, which materialize the search for an active and dynamic integration of the playful, the technological with and in the educational. The GJ, therefore, are recognized and valued by participants as emerging sites, in the contemporary educational panorama, which integrate facilitating dimensions of contact with educational experiences.
Keywords
Game jams; Education; Educational experience; Ethnography; Video games