This chapter explains the overview of educational computer games; the reward and feedback systems in educational computer games; the significance of educational computer games in the digital age; the aspects of educational video games; the multifaceted applications of educational video games; the perspectives on serious games; the design of serious games in educational settings; the applications of serious games in the health care industry; and the challenges of serious games in the digital age. The applications of educational computer games, educational video games, and serious games are essential in educational institutions that seeks to serve teachers and students, increase educational performance, enhance competitiveness, and fulfill accomplishment in global education. The chapter argues that utilizing educational computer games, educational video games, and serious games has the potential to improve educational performance and reach strategic goals in the game-based learning environments.
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Games are defined as an ongoing array of complementary transactions that are superficially plausible but have a practical motivation to maximize payoffs and minimize penalties for the initiator (McIntosh, Dircks, Fitzpatrick, & Shuman, 2006). Games with such interactive interfaces create an environment that bridges between artificial and natural cognitive capabilities, enabling them to work together more efficiently (Nakai et al., 2015). In recent years, there has been a growing interest in educational computer games that enhance learning and teaching in global education (Khenissi, Essalmi, & Jemni, 2015).
Educational computer games can be recognized as artifacts or a cultural pattern that stimulate meaningful immersive experiences (de Freitas & Neumann, 2009). Educational computer games can promote the learning motivation of the learners (Hwang et al., 2013). Different studies show positive effects of the use of educational computer games in the classroom, both in student achievement and attitude toward learning, compared to traditional teaching (Lou, Abrami, & d’Apollonia, 2001). Using these applications, it is possible to develop different learning styles (Connolly & Stansfield, 2007), since the speed and difficulty level can be adjusted according to the profile of each player (Echeverria, Barrios, Nussbaum, Amestica, & Leclerc, 2012).