Mobile game-based learning as a solution in COVID-19 era: Modeling the pedagogical affordance and student interactions

The closure of educational institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic leads imperatively to the utilization of technological advances and the Internet for enabling the continuity of learning. To this direction, Mobile Game-based Learning (MGbL) can be beneficial to teaching and learning; since, from technological perspective, most students prefer to use their mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, and from pedagogical perspective, incorporating gaming in educational process can boost students’ motivation for learning and improve their learning outcomes. Hence, this study investigates learners’ intention to use MGbL as an alternative educational practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, by modeling the pedagogical affordance of this technology and student interactions with it. As a testbed for this research, a MGbL application was used for the instruction of the programming language C# in higher education, during the lockdown period of 2020. The findings reveal that the MGbL technology has a significant and positive impact on student engagement and academic performance.