Game-based learning for culturally diverse students : Designing a conceptual framework for embedding cultural capital into games

Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to create a conceptual framework for designing culturally responsive game based learning (GBL) with diverse students by including their cultural capital. This addition of cultural capital can contribute to the students' learning capabilities. This framework provides a structure of workshops and best practices for game designers and pedagogical professionals to jointly incorporate cultural capital into GBL, specifically in an Aotearoa/New Zealand context. Although many studies have been conducted on the benefits of culturally responsive teaching, limited research exists on GBL in this context. New Zealand educators are already implementing GBL in classrooms, but they can have difficulties with creating culturally responsive perspectives. The proposed framework facilitates collaboration with game designers, educators, students, cultural leaders and community members to co-create GBL that reflects a multicultural society's cultural capital. The key contribution is the conceptual framework that identifies how to incorporate cultural capital into GBL. Future research is needed to evaluate the framework's effectiveness for culturally diverse student groups in NZ and other culturally diverse student groups with similar colonial histories.