TPACK for Game-based Learning Practice

TPACK stands for technological pedagogical content knowledge see Fig 1. It can be used to form a framework that synthesizes the scope of knowledge required by a teacher, instructor or lecturer to implement effective and efficient digital game-based learning (DGBL).

Figure 1: The generic TPACK framework

The scope of TPACK for DGBL are:

1. Content knowledge (CK) covers the knowledge of a subject matter,
the knowledge of ways and means of dealing with the subject matter, and the knowledge of the universals and abstractions in the subject matter. Table 1 shows three sub-scopes of content knowledge. Mastering the content knowledge would make a person an expert (e.g. expert in chemistry, music, geography, etc.), but having the content knowledge alone might not be sufficient to yield effective teaching and learning outcomes.

Table 1: The level of complexity and scope of content knowledge

2. Pedagogical knowledge (PK) covers the generic knowledge about how human beings teach, train and learn, i.e. theories about learning. It also covers methods of teaching and learning assessment, including:

• Three domain of learning assessment: cognitive, affective and psychomotor 
• Three methods of assessment: criterion-referenced, norm-referenced and ipsative assessment
• Assessment for learning (AFL): diagnostic assessment, formative assessment.
• Nature of assessment: assessment for learning, assessment as learning, and assessment of learning

3. Technology knowledge (TK) covers the generic knowledge of how technologies are used in education, e.g. digital and communication technology. In the contexts of schools of higher education institution, general DGBL practice requires mastery of TK. This is the most important matter in TPACK for GBL practice, in which the mastery of gaming and playing technologies is essential to make TPACK successful.

4. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is the know-how of combining generic pedagogy with contents of a specific subject matter. The quality of the combination would determine the quality of teaching and learning events, i.e. making a subject matter difficult or easy to learn. The mastery of the PCK of a subject matter would afford teachers, instructors, tutors or lecturers to identify common misconceptions and preconceptions learners held before starting a lesson. Herewith some problematic PCK in practice:

• Using mnemonics to teach creative writing in UPSR. 
• Using chalk-and-talk approach to teach beginning learners how to swim .  

5. Technological content knowledge (TCK) is the know-how of using generic educational technology to provide new ways of teaching contents of a specific subject matter. For example, using animation to teach engineering students to visualize how a physically unseen system works (see fig 2).

Figure 2: An example of good TCK in practice, i.e. using animation to help engineering students to visualize how an unseen system works.

 6. Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) is the know-how of combining generic educational technology with a particular pedagogy to afford new teaching and learning approaches. For example, using a blog to teach academic writing, or using a digital game to teach typing (see fig 3).

Figure 3: A typing game was used to teach how to familiarize with QWERTY keyboard

7. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is the integrated knowledge and know-how that covers all the above mentioned scopes of knowledge. Example of a mastery of TPACK is the use of Spore in teaching biological thinking among A-Level students in Essex.