Critical Digital Game Literacies Education
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| Title: | Critical Digital Game Literacies Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Alexander Bacalja |
| Source: | English Teaching: Practice and Critique. 2026 25(2):106-122. |
| Availability: | Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Descriptors: | Digital Literacy, Computer Games, Critical Literacy, Technology Uses in Education, English Instruction, Literacy, Multiple Literacies |
| DOI: | 10.1108/ETPC-06-2025-0140 |
| ISSN: | 1175-8708 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: This paper argues for the integration of critical digital game literacies (CDGLs) into English and literacy education. This study aims to move beyond simplistic good--bad dichotomies surrounding digital games in education by exploring how different theoretical perspectives can inform a more nuanced approach to digital games and school learning. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on Han's theorisation of the productive relationship between narrative and theory, this paper uses a conceptual analysis approach, synthesising ideas from four key theoretical areas: educational studies, postdigital studies, literacy studies and cultural studies. By critically examining how concepts from these disciplines construct different narratives about digital games and learning, this paper develops an integrated theoretical framework for CDGLs education. Findings: Analysis reveals a shared commitment across perspectives: CDGLs cannot be reduced to instrumental competencies but must be understood as complex, socially situated, ideologically laden practices. Educational studies insist that why we teach with games must precede how; postdigital studies demands attention to entangled ecologies in which games operate, resisting technological determinism; literacy studies grounds CDGLs within genealogies of meaning-making across modes and media; and cultural studies refuses essentialist readings, instead foregrounding the productive instability of meaning and young people's active negotiation of cultural texts. Originality/value: This paper offers a novel interdisciplinary framework for conceptualising CDGLs education. By bringing together diverse theoretical perspectives, it provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital games can be critically engaged within English and literacy education, contributing to the evolving discourse on digital literacy practices and schooling. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1508759 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Purpose: This paper argues for the integration of critical digital game literacies (CDGLs) into English and literacy education. This study aims to move beyond simplistic good--bad dichotomies surrounding digital games in education by exploring how different theoretical perspectives can inform a more nuanced approach to digital games and school learning. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on Han's theorisation of the productive relationship between narrative and theory, this paper uses a conceptual analysis approach, synthesising ideas from four key theoretical areas: educational studies, postdigital studies, literacy studies and cultural studies. By critically examining how concepts from these disciplines construct different narratives about digital games and learning, this paper develops an integrated theoretical framework for CDGLs education. Findings: Analysis reveals a shared commitment across perspectives: CDGLs cannot be reduced to instrumental competencies but must be understood as complex, socially situated, ideologically laden practices. Educational studies insist that why we teach with games must precede how; postdigital studies demands attention to entangled ecologies in which games operate, resisting technological determinism; literacy studies grounds CDGLs within genealogies of meaning-making across modes and media; and cultural studies refuses essentialist readings, instead foregrounding the productive instability of meaning and young people's active negotiation of cultural texts. Originality/value: This paper offers a novel interdisciplinary framework for conceptualising CDGLs education. By bringing together diverse theoretical perspectives, it provides a comprehensive understanding of how digital games can be critically engaged within English and literacy education, contributing to the evolving discourse on digital literacy practices and schooling. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1175-8708 |
| DOI: | 10.1108/ETPC-06-2025-0140 |
