Learning and Video Games

EDU 6319: How People Learn | Case Study

This case study discusses how learning occurs in video games. Explore the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and discover if and how the game's approach to teaching players how to interact with the game is effective for the subject of this case study.

Tears of the Kingdom concept art © Nintendo

What This Case Study Is All About

When someone thinks of learning, it's likely they don't think about video games–but there is a surprising amount of learning even just to play a video game! From tutorial sections to layered puzzles, video games constantly challenge the player to problem solve to move forward in the story. The Legend of Zelda series is a great example of video games that make a player think and utilize prior knowledge while also attempting to teach the player how to succeed in the game. Watch the video below to learn more about this case study. A transcript of the video came be found here.

Explore the Case Study

Learner

Rob Hillman is a HUGE Zelda fan. Read more about him and his interest in this video game series.

Setting

See the space where the learning happens!

Experience

Learn more about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Interview

Catch up on an interview with Rob about his learning experience in this game!

Observation

Read my observation notes on Rob's gameplay experience to get a feel for how he learns.

Analysis

Rob's experience with this game can be examined and explained through the science of learning.

Recommendations

No video game is perfect, no matter how much we like it. Explore some of my suggestions for improvement.

References

References can be found on each page where applicable, but there is a master reference sheet available.

Hear my thoughts on playing the game! Did watching Rob help me learn how to succeed in Tears of the Kingdom?