Learning by Playing : An interview study with aspiring history teachers about historical video games in education

The aim of this study is to shed light on the potential historical video games have to influence students’ historical knowledge and historical consciousness, and furthermore what uses there are of video games with historical content in regards of learning. The underlying purpose of the study is sprung from the fact that we live in a vastly technological society, where digital native students on a daily basis are exposed to a myriad of expressions in popular and historical culture. As a future history teacher it is therefore of utmost interest and importance to pinpoint the different ways in which games can be utilized to garner students’ interest as well as motivating their learning of the subject. The result is based on the theoretical framework of historical consciousness and moreover interviews with four digital native and aspiring history teachers who speak their minds about the use of videogames as an influential force on students’ all-round historical knowledge. The questions I am asking concern the informants’ views on what factors of historical video games provide stimuli for furthering ones’ historical consciousness, what uses there are of games in education and how students’ views of historical periods might be affected. The results show that there, out of the select games presented, undoubtedly are different ways in which to use games, such as analyzing the use of history and criticism of sources. Furthermore, it proves they are a good medium for the development of historical knowledge as well as historical consciousness, if the teacher possesses much knowledge of the area and ultimately can harness its complexity. English title: Learning by playing – An interview study with aspiring history teachers about the use of historical video games in education. Keywords: history, didactics, historical consciousness, use of history, video games, digital natives & immigrants