Literature Review of Location-Based Mobile Games in Education: Challenges, Impacts and Opportunities

Abstract

With the universal use of mobile computing devices, there has been a notable increase in the number of mobile applications developed for educational purposes. Gamification strategies offer a new set of tools to educators and, combined with the location services provided by those devices, allow the creation of innovative location-based mobile learning experiences. In this literature review, we conduct an analysis of educational mobile location-based games. The review includes articles published from January of 2010 to October of 2020, and from 127 records screened, 26 articles were analysed in full-text form. This analysis allowed us to answer the following six predefined research questions: Who are the target audiences for location-based games? In which subjects are location-based games most used? Which strategies are implemented with mobile devices to improve the student’s learning process? What are the main impacts of location-based games on students’ learning? What are the main challenges to the development of location-based games for education? What future tendencies and research opportunities can be identified from the analysis of the current state of the art?

Keywords

• game-based learning
• location-based games
• mobile games
• mobile learning