University of Edinburgh

Games-Based Learning as an Interdisciplinary Approach to Literacy across Curriculum for Excellence

The integration of the simulation game Mars Colony Challenger into secondary science curricula significantly enhances literacy attainment among students aged 12 to 14.

• Integrating the simulation game Mars Colony Challenger into secondary science curricula for students aged 12 to 14 leads to statistically superior literacy attainment compared to conventional instructional methods.
• Quantitative analysis using Mann-Whitney U testing confirms that students using the simulation show measurable improvements in writing proficiency.
• The game environment effectively fosters advanced literacy skills, specifically the development of sophisticated narrative structures, complex characterization, and the integration of specialized technical vocabulary.