UC Santa Cruz

During this information age, video games have been utilized as a medium to teach individuals about digital literacy. Games that teach digital literacy in this thesis are defined as games that delve into the topics of computer programming, digital citizenship, big data and cyber-security, ethical consequences of tech, and learning specialized skills in this digital age. While there has been many organizational analysis on how games teach other important social topics, there has been little analysis on organizing the teaching methods of the different types of digital literacy games available today. I analyzed and organized 28 video games that are tagged under the umbrella term of digital literacy. Using Thematic Analysis, I analyzed each game's learning mechanics (Choice, Minigames, Scripted Events, Exploration, Non-Interactive) and mapped it into an inquiry-based teaching approach (Confirmatory, Structured, Guided, and Open/True). Once I finished this synthesis I applied it in a digital literacy game I developed called, CookieMania, and describe how each learning mechanic has been implemented to follow this thematic analysis.