Stimulating learning through games

Generation Z differs from its predecessors in many ways. In general, they are characterized by an emphasis on a friendly atmosphere and pragmatism. They prefer to deal with root causes, solve real-life problems and take responsibility for their decision. An educational game is a safe environment that allows students to learn by immersing themselves in solving game-challenges as well as to be responsible for their decisions and actions. The conference paper will present theoretical backgrounds and goals of the newly created subject “Educational games” offered to in-service physics teachers as an optional subject in bachelor’s degree. It was held for the first time in the academic year 2022/23, nine students took part in it. Seven of them provided feedback via an online questionnaire. Additional information was obtained from the analysis of semester papers. Expectations will be compared with experiences from the first year of the subject implementation. For most of the participants, the primary motive for participating in the course was their experience of non-formal education and the expectation of acquiring ideas for extracurricular activities. Only two students already had some idea of using the game in the physics education. Five students indicated a change in their understanding of the game as a teaching method. Possible directions for further development will be outlined.


Introduction
The term generation is used to describe common characteristics of people living at about the same time, in similar historical, social, and cultural circumstances that formed (mainly in youth age) their attitudes, perceptions, beliefs, and expectations [1].It is an identifiable group that share birth years, age location, and significant life events at critical developmental stages [2].In literature, years of born of the generation Z considerably varies from 1990 to the beginning of 2010s [3].So, the generation Z is widely influenced not only by technological progress, but also COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the typical characteristics attributed to generation Z is that they are the first native digitals, who didn't live in the world without digital technologies and internet and grew up with portable digital technology from a young age [4,5,6].The common view is that young people are screen-time addicts.Almost half say that they are online almost all the time, the most common argument in defence of social networks is contact with friends and family, among supporters of the opposite position, the most common argument is that social networks lead to bullying and spreading rumours [4].The use of digital technologies is one of the important areas of educational research.Many studies point to positive associations with educational outcomes.However experimental and quasi-experimental research studies combined with meta-analysis show that it is not whether technology is used (or not) which makes the difference, but how the technology is used to support teaching and learning [7].
Growing up in the digital era causes, that generation Z consider online solutions to be natural and this also affects their educational preferences [6,8].
Nowadays students expect to be fully engaged and to be a part of the learning process themselves [9].Generations Z and Alpha grow up with gamification driving online activities, through motivators such as: likes, flames, followers, gems and upgrades, which, in turn, is supported by instant feedback [10].That influences students' look for the opportunity to have an immersive educational experience.Most of them prefer learning by doing over learning by seeing, reading, or listening [9].Students from generation Z tend to enjoy class discussions and interactive classroom environments over the traditional dissemination teaching method.Young people are said to be more purpose-driven [11].They prefer more career-based programs and less traditional degree paths [12].
Generational labels are simple and catchy but there's growing criticism about generational research and generational labels in particular [13].Generation thinking is too simplifying.In fact, there is no scientific basis to expect social and cultural changes with approximately 15-years long periodicity and so-called generations are just one of three factors that explain changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours [11].We have to distinguish between "period effects" -experiences that affect everyone, regardless of age (such as the coronavirus pandemic), "life-cycle effects" that occur as people age, or as a result of major events such as leaving home, getting married or having children, and "cohort effects" common to people of a particular "generation".Some effects can be caused by changes in demographics (e.g.racial and ethnical diversity) [13].
Either way, there is constant pressure on institutions to consider the changing needs of incoming students.It is a challenge to re-think not only content and methods how it is presented to students but also ways of assessment and students' well-being.

Games in education
Learning through play is relevant throughout the whole childhood period and beyond.Game is an activity that is voluntary and enjoyable, separate from the real world, uncertain, unproductive (game does not produce any goods of external value) and governed by rules [14].Most game definitions describe similar elements of games -rules, structure, voluntariness, uncertain outcome, conflict, imagination, resolution.Games are based on diverse combinations of these criteria in different proportions [15].The difficulty of defining the term game lies in the strong connection of the game with many aspects of life.Just as everyone does not experience experiences in the same way, everyone views games in different ways [16 ].
Potential of using games as an educational tool is a subject of Game-Based Learning research.Game-Based-Learning focuses on the learner and puts an educational context into games [17], uses games to support teaching and learning [18], provides students with immersive experiences, shows them the importance of real-world situations for deep learning, and provides opportunities, how to broaden their view of natural sciences [19].By focusing on the cognitive, emotional and social factors of the learner and the relevant learning environment, Game-Based-Learning is a catalyst for the learning process not limited to a certain age group [20].
Research shows that Game-Based-Learning has wide possibilities of use in the teaching of various fields, such as financial law [21], medicine [22], mathematics [23], physics [24,25].Game-Based-Learning uses both digital and non-digital games, however, it should be noted that most research has focused on digital games [26].
Gamification refers to the use of some game elements (game mechanics, aesthetics and game thinking) in order to engage, motivate activity, support learning and solve problems [27].Thus, gamification integrates game elements into existing learning activities.

Policy and institutional framework
The National Program for the Development of Education and Training 2018 -2027 states that: "it is necessary to develop the system of education and training in Slovak Republic so that: ... formal education is an important, but not the only, supported form of meaningful learning, because a person also learns through informal education and informal learning..." The development of the non-formal education system itself is subsequently defined as one of three cross-cutting priorities, whereas "achieving the stated goals will be a long-term process that must include several measures, such as for example, increasing the standards of training and education of future teachers, improving the system of their lifelong education" [28].
Study programs in the field of teaching physics primarily meet the need for training teachers for lower and upper secondary education.Graduates of a bachelor's degree are therefore expected to continue their studies at a master's degree -all universities in Slovak Republic that educate pre-service physics teachers declare in the profile of a graduate of a bachelor's degree that they are ready for a master's degree in the first place.There is no special study program focused on education of specialists for field of non-formal education.
The Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava declares that graduates of the bachelor's degree in teaching physics are ready to work independently and creatively in popularization of physics and other natural science disciplines, in work with children, youth and adults outside of school in non-formal and informal education.One of the optional subjects that allows students to focus on the use of non-formal and informal education to support formal education, or for a future career in the field of informal education, is the subject "Educational Games".

Subject syllabi
The time allocated for the subject is 14 face-to-face lessons, 90 minutes each, once a week during one semester.Its form is a combination of discussions, collaborative work, problem-solving and, of course, games.Students will become familiar with: • play, its role in the life of an individual of different ages • the importance of play for the development of cognitive abilities • functions of play in education • spontaneous and directed play • stages of creating an educational game -goal, choice of context, ideological intention, rules of the game, creation of tasks, basis for evaluation discussion • game testing • functions of the teacher, pedagogical intervention during the educational game • evaluation of the success of the educational game The conditions for passing the course are: 1. active participation in critical evaluation of the experienced gamestheir strengths and weaknesses from the point of view of the player, the teacher and the game-designer, 2. the elaboration of written semestral projectreport on the implementation of an educational game of the student's choice with lower or upper secondary pupils, transformation of an existing game into an educational game or proposal of a new educational game.In any case student should show their ability to observe the flow of the game and players' involvement during the game, evaluate this experience and suggest some improvements / modifications of the game.

Evaluation of the course
In the academic year 2022/23 the subject was offered for the first time.

Participants
Before the beginning of the semester, only two students were enrolled in the course.During the first two weeks, their number increased to nine.Characteristics of students attending the course are summarised in table 1. Teaching informatics and English 1 st 1 Informatics 1 st 1

Semestral projects
Since the middle of the semester, students have been working on their projects.Two course participants chose to implement an existing educational game and critically evaluate the acquired experience.In their reports, these students briefly described the game rules, focused on the observation of the game flow and pupils' actions.They were able to analyse strengths and weaknesses of the chosen game.Two students (one of them is studying informatics and one pre-service mathematics and physics teacher) with long-term experience with summer camps for mathematically talented pupils proposed new games focused on mathematics education.After testing these games with course participants there was vivid discussion on possible modifications and improvements of proposed games.The pre-service informatics teacher proposed a quiz game in the Minecraft Education environment.Four pre-service physics teachers proposed modifications of commercial games into physics educational games.These games were also tested and discussed in the frame of the course.Two of proposed physics educational games were afterwards tested with pupils of in the condition of school practice.Authors of these educational games successfully presented their experiences with application of game-based learning and the development of an educational game at the Students' scientific conference of the Comenius University in Bratislava.

Questionnaire
Three months after the end of semester, we asked students to answer an online questionnaire aimed at critical evaluating the fulfilment of student expectations, at changes of students' perspectives on the use of games in education, and perceived effects of completing the course.The questionnaire was answered by 7 students (6 pre-service physics teachers and 1 student of informatics).
Friend's recommendation seems to be the most motivating factor for enrolling in the course.It was identified as most motivating by four students and as motivating by two others (table 2).The others motivating factors are, in order of importance: expectation of getting ideas for extracurricular activities, previous experience with games as a participant of out-of-school education, description of the subject in the information sheet and its syllabi, previous experience with game as an instructor of out-of-school education, expectation of getting ideas for school education, need to get credits, and expectation of an "easy subject".To get ideas for extracurricular activities 1 2 Previous experiences with games as a participant of out-of-school education 1 2 Description of the subject in the information sheet and its syllabi 0 3 Previous experiences with games as an instructor 0 3 To get ideas for school education 1 1 To get credits 1 1 Expectation of an easy subject 0 1 Four students stated that, at the beginning, they did not know what to expect from the subject.As the course progressed, their expectations were formed.These students wanted to play games, get personal experience with educational games, and learn more about the backgrounds of using games in education.Three students were expecting to learn about the use of games as a means of learning, one of them was expecting to learn during the course how to create an educational game.
Changes of students' perspectives on the use of games in education were declared by five students.Before the course they perceived playing the games as funny and/or relaxing activity, suitable mainly for non-formal and informal education.The student of informatics and one of the pre-service physics teachers already believed (before the course) that games can be used wisely in school education.According to answers of these two students, the course did not change, but strengthened and developed their beliefs.
During the course students played 15 games, including 7 games created by students themselves.Participants of the course appreciated the most Physics Dixit and Physics Code Names.Both games are modifications of commercial games and some students displayed previous experience with their original versions.The Physics Dixit was prepared by educator, the Physics Code Names was created by one of students as a semestral project.These two games have similar goals (to develop students' understanding of physics concepts) and use similar methods (finding associations with physical concepts based on their similarities and differences).Duel on the unstable plane [25] was another appreciated game because of its simplicity and very good integration of physics concepts into the game mechanics.Integration of the physical movement across the school building together with the feedback provided by game itself to players were considered as the inciting parts of the game The tournament of J. C. Maxwell [29].Other games impressed students with their complexity of required and developed skills and knowledge (PhysLab Break), idea of the game and its aesthetics (Physics BrainBox), creativity and potential for further development (Alliteration).
In general, students expressed in their answers positive evaluation of the course.They highlighted the combination of useful theoretical background acquired during the course and personal experience with application of the games into learning process.At the same time students perceived classes as relaxing and enjoyable part of their week schedule.

Conclusion
In the academic year 2023/24 the course will be offered for the second time with some minor changes based on the feedback.Study materials for the Educational Games course are currently only available to course participants.They have an electronic form in the environment of the learning management system of the Comenius University.It is assumed that the materials will be further refined in cooperation with the participants of next year's course and subsequently published.
Preliminary results obtained during the first year of the course showed that educational games are relevant to pre-service teacher not only from the view of their future career, but also as a method of their own learning.Therefore, the games or some gaming elements are planned to be applied also into other subjects and courses of pre-service teachers' education.Students are encouraged to develop game-based leaning and/or gamification also within their bachelor and master thesis.

Table 1 .
Characteristics of students attending the optional subject "Educational games".

Table 2 .
Motivation of students to enrol in "Educational games".