Academic literature on the topic 'Video game literacy'

Teachers can harness the power of video games to foster interest and engage students in literacy activities. Within this study, seven 6th graders participated in a video game book group during language arts instructional time. The study focused on tweens’ figured worlds of literacy and video games and the intersections and divergences of these worlds. The research involved a comparative case study of two books (a video game text and a video game–related text), with all book group meetings audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. The data provide support that tweens hold different figured worlds of in-school literacy versus gaming; this finding has implications for educators regarding tweens’ literacy practices within and beyond the classroom.

The claim that video games are replacing literacy activities that is bandied about in the American mainstream press is based not only on unspecified definitions of both ‘games' and ‘literacy’ but also on a surprising lack of research on what children actually do when they play video games. In this article, the author examines some of the practices that comprise game play in the context of one genre of video games in particular — massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). Based on data culled from a two-year online cognitive ethnography of the MMOG Lineage (both I and II), the author argues that forms of video game play such as those entailed in MMOGs are not replacing literacy activities but rather are literacy activities. In order to make this argument, the author surveys the literacy practices that MMOGamers routinely participate in, both within the game's virtual world (e.g. social interaction, in-game letters) and beyond (e.g. online game forums, the creation of fan sites and fan fiction). Then, with this argument in place, she attempts to historicize this popular contempt toward electronic ‘pop culture’ media such as video games and suggest a potentially more productive (and accurate) framing of the literacy practices of today's generation of adolescents and young adults.

The rapidly growing phenomenon of video games, along with learning that takes place through video game play, have raised concerns about the negative impact such games are reputed to have on youth, particularly boys. However, there is a disconnect between the discourse that suggests that boys are failing in learning literacy skills, and the discourse that suggests that they are learning highly sophisticated literacy skills through engagement with video games. This article reports on a research project investigating the literacy skills boys are learning through video game play and explores whether these skills are actually beneficial and whether they aid learning or distract from more useful literacy learning and healthy pursuits.

The purpose of this article is twofold: first, to cast a critical eye on an arguably conservative aspect of so-called ‘walking simulators’ ‐ their walking simulation and second, to position viral browser game QWOP (2008) as an intervention into dominant paradigms of video game walking control. The first half discusses how walking simulators inherit and share a ‘grammar of action’ for simulating walking with a number of other games (Galloway). I argue this grammar of action constitutes the reification of a particular subject position ‐ one associated with a normative bodymind ‐ in video gameplay via a combination of representations, control procedures and player ‘embodied literacy’ (Keogh). The second half considers QWOP’s alternate grammar of walking simulation and how this precipitates a different relationship between player and video game, prompting questions about distributed cognition, intentionality, failure and what it means for a game to be critical.

The main objective of this article is to analyse informal learning processes in the field of video games. As many teenagers are engaged in these kinds of practices, the big question is: How do teens learn to play video games? In most cases they do not learn to play video games at school or with their parents, and therefore it is necessary to map and analyse these informal learning strategies (ILS). The aims of this article are to identify the main ILS that teens apply as they acquire and improve their video game literacy, and to develop a series of categories for analysing and classifying these informal learning experiences. After briefly outlining the situation of ILS and teens’ transmedia skills, in the context of a general reflection on information literacy (IL) and transmedia literacy (TL), the methodological aspects of research and fieldwork in eight countries is described. A taxonomy of ILS related to video game practices is also presented. The research team identified six modalities of ILS (learning by doing, problem solving, imitation, playing, evaluation and teaching) and expanded them with four main categories (subject, time, space and relationships) that contain a series of oppositions. This set of modalities, categories and oppositions should be considered as a first step in the construction of a set of analytical tools for describing and classifying ILS in the context of teens’ video game experiences.

Educational programs designed to bridge the digital divide for girls often aim to increase girls’ technological literacy. However, little research has examined what aspects of technological literacy are highlighted in these programs. In this article, I provide a case study of a video game design workshop hosted by a girls’ advocacy organization. Through observations, interviews, and analysis of program materials, I look at how the organization conceptualizes technological literacy as contributing to gender equality. I compare this conceptualization to how technological literacy was taught in the classroom. Finally, I draw on situated learning theory to help explain how girls responded to the class. In the end, both the organization’s limited notion of how technological literacy could increase gender equality as well as gender and race differences between the teachers and the girls influenced girls’ participation in the workshop.

University students, faculty, and staff from science, engineering, education, entrepreneurship, and design (SEE(E)D) backgrounds developed a video game to leverage outreach efforts promoting sustainability, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ((S)STEM) to underserved students. This was accomplished by transforming a board game—previously developed and used to teach elementary students about complex and often misunderstood energy and sustainability issues—through a collaborative design process. The process of taking a tangible board game into the digital realm required significant design and pedagogical adaptations to maintain student learning outcomes and content delivery. Scientists, educators, and designers strengthened the graphical and pedagogical aspects of the game collaboratively to ultimately expand and deepen the energy literacy of elementary school students. This design case seeks to elucidate the multidisciplinary collaborative design process used by SEE(E)D faculty and researchers as well as students to redesign a board game into a didactic video game that is easier to both deploy and disseminate for the benefit of K-12 students and teachers.

Literacy researchers have explored how video games might be used as supplementary texts in secondary English language arts (ELA) classrooms to support reading instruction. However, less attention has been focused on how video games, particularly online educational games designed to teach argumentation, might enhance secondary ELA students’ writing development. In this article, we describe how the pedagogical feedback provided by one such game, Quandary, influenced two seventh graders’ written arguments in advocacy letters addressed to the state governor regarding a local environmental disaster. We compare these two embedded cases to data from 10 focal students, as well as patterns from 114 seventh graders (in five ELA classes). Based on our analysis of screen-capture video of students’ gameplay, drafts of their advocacy letters, and video-stimulated recall interviews, we conclude that game feedback rewarding or penalizing predetermined right or wrong player moves may encourage students to develop argumentation strategies that are less effective in more complex rhetorical situations and may foster a false sense of competence.

Purpose The emergence of digital technological advances pushes educators for understanding and utilizing these technologies for classroom use. The current generation of teenagers has grown up in a networked world where everyone is immersed in technology-based gadgets in everyday life. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate video game-based academic and information literacy (IL) learning of teenagers of private schools of Lahore city. Lahore is the capital city of the province of Punjab. Literary works highlighted the importance of video games in developing academic and IL skills; therefore, the current research aims to reveal this fact in local context. Design/methodology/approach The present study adopted qualitative research design and utilized phenomenological research method to achieve study’s objectives. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews. The study participants were teenagers (aged 13‒19 years) of elite economic class of private schools where students normally owned latest video game gadgets. Findings Based on the study findings, it is elucidated that playing video games has a positive impact on teenagers’ learning, and it promotes quick thinking. The participants exert effort to achieve goals, take up challenges for completing different points at various stages of games and interact with online competitors. It enhanced their social communication, problem-solving and IL (searching/locating and evaluating) skills. Research limitations/implications The present study has some limitations. First, sample is limited to elite economic private schools of Lahore. Second, the lack of availability of regular video game players has limited the sample size, as Pakistan is a developing country and limited numbers of teenagers use and can afford gaming gadgets. Lastly, the results of this study are based on students’ perceptions, so there is a need to measure actual learning with assessments. Originality/value The results of the study are beneficial for the game developers, teachers, librarians and parents. The education sector may support video games usability as learning tools.

The video-game industry has become a significant force in the business and entertainment world. Video games have become so widespread and pervasive that they are now considered a part of the mass media, a common method of storytelling and representation. Despite the massive popularity of video games, their increasing variety, and the diversification of the player base, until very recently little attention was devoted to understanding how playing video games affects the way people think and collaborate across cultures. This paper examines the recent literature regarding the impact of video games on players from an intercultural perspective. Sixty-two studies are identified whose aim is to analyze behavioral-change, content understanding, knowledge acquisition, and perceptional impacts. Their findings suggest that video games have the potential to help to acquire cultural knowledge and develop intercultural literacy, socio-cultural literacy, cultural awareness, self-awareness, and the cultural understanding of different geopolitical spaces, to reinforce or weaken stereotypes, and to some extent also facilitate the development of intercultural skills. The paper provides valuable insights to the scholars, teachers, and practitioners of cultural studies, education, social studies, as well as to the researchers, pointing out areas for future research.

[ES] Los videojuegos modernos son complejos, diversos, inmersivos y muy extendidos, y su influencia en la sociedad y en las personas es muy profunda. Al principio, los videojuegos y sus impactos fueron demonizados, pero con el tiempo los estudios empezaron a evaluar sus efectos positivos en las competencias y habilidades relacionadas con las destrezas del siglo XXI, entre las que se encuentra la alfabetización cultural. Esta tesis sigue esta tendencia y examina el modo en que los juegos de entretenimiento comerciales, los juegos serios, los juegos educativos y las simulaciones pueden ayudar a los jugadores en su aprendizaje y en la adquisición de destrezas que mejoran su alfabetización cultural. Un análisis de las tendencias comunes en las destrezas y competencias necesarias para tener éxito en el siglo XXI (estudiadas por la UNESCO, el British Council, IBM, Google, LinkedIn y el Foro Económico Mundial) reveló que para vivir en un mundo VUCA (volátil, incierto, complejo y ambiguo) hace falta un modelo nuevo y actualizado de la alfabetización cultural. Esta tesis propone tal modelo. Se hizo una revisión de la literatura reciente sobre el impacto y los resultados de los videojuegos. Dicha revisión mostró que los videojuegos pueden reforzar o debilitar los estereotipos, que ayudan a adquirir conocimientos culturales y a desarrollar la alfabetización intercultural, la alfabetización sociocultural, la conciencia cultural, la autoconciencia y el entendimiento cultural de diferentes espacios geopolíticos, y que hasta cierto punto facilitan el desarrollo de las habilidades interculturales. El corazón de la tesis es una investigación sobre la efectividad de los videojuegos en el abordaje de problemas sociales difíciles como son los movimientos migratorios y la crisis de refugiados. Se realizaron dos estudios, uno cuantitativo y otro cualitativo, que obtuvieron resultados alentadores para los creadores de videojuegos de empatía. Muchos participantes informaron que sintieron más empatía y menos rechazo hacia los migrantes y refugiados, así como una mayor motivación para ayudar de forma activa a gente necesitada. Se hizo, además, una encuesta amplia que dio a conocer los géneros de entretenimiento AAA, los personajes, los elementos de juego y las características que los nativos digitales encuentran atractivos, así como los que echan en falta y que les gustaría ver en el futuro. Los hallazgos también confirmaron que los juegos no son solamente una fuente de diversión, sino también de mucho aprendizaje. El inglés, las bases de la informática, el pensamiento estratégico, la geografía y la historia, el trabajo en equipo, conocimientos culturales, el cambio de perspectiva y la creatividad... todo esto se aprende y refuerza con los videojuegos. Las evidencias presentadas en esta tesis sugieren que hay una demanda para herramientas que faciliten la educación intercultural. El punto culminante de esta tesis es el diseño de Chuzme, un juego educativo digital que pretende elevar la autoconciencia (cultural) y el reconocimiento del sesgo cultural con el fin de generar actitudes positivas hacia los migrantes, refugiados y expatriados. En resumen, esta tesis apoya la idea de que los videojuegos facilitan la adquisición de la alfabetización cultural y aporta pruebas de que los videojuegos proporcionan beneficios culturales, sociales y comunicativos que espere animen a los profesores a integrar activamente los videojuegos en su práctica docente. Descriptores: investigación sobre videojuegos, impacto de los videojuegos, comunicación intercultural, aprendizaje basado en juegos, alfabetización cultural
[CAT] Els videojocs moderns són complexos, diversos, immersius i molt estesos, i la seva influència en la societat i en les persones és molt profunda. Al principi, els videojocs i els seus impactes van ser demonitzats però amb el temps els estudis van començar a avaluar els seus efectes positius en les competències i habilitats relacionades amb les destreses del segle XXI, entre les quals es troba l'alfabetització cultural. Aquesta tesi segueix aquesta tendència i examina la manera en què els jocs d'entreteniment comercials, els jocs seriosos, els jocs educatius i les simulacions poden ajudar els jugadors en el seu aprenentatge i en l'adquisició de destreses que milloren la seva alfabetització cultural. Una anàlisi de les tendències comunes en les destreses i competències necessàries per tenir èxit en el segle XXI (estudiades per la UNESCO, el British Council, IBM, Google, LinkedIn i el Fòrum Econòmic Mundial) va revelar que per viure en un món VUCA (volàtil , incert, complex i ambigu) cal un model nou i actualitzat de l'alfabetització cultural. Aquesta tesi proposa aquest model. Es va fer una revisió de la literatura recent sobre l'impacte i els resultats dels videojocs. La dita revisió va mostrar que els videojocs poden reforçar o debilitar els estereotips, que ajuden a adquirir coneixements culturals i a desenvolupar l'alfabetització intercultural, l'alfabetització sociocultural, la consciència cultural, l'autoconsciència i l'enteniment cultural de diferents espais geopolítics, i que fins a cert punt faciliten el desenvolupament de les habilitats interculturals. El cor de la tesi és una investigació sobre l'efectivitat dels videojocs en l'abordatge de problemes socials difícils com són els moviments migratoris i la crisi de refugiats. Es van realitzar dos estudis, un quantitatiu i un altre qualitatiu, que van obtenir resultats encoratjadors per als creadors de videojocs d'empatia. Molts participants van informar que van sentir més empatia i menys rebuig cap als immigrants i refugiats, així com una major motivació per ajudar de forma activa a gent necessitada. Es va fer, a més, una enquesta àmplia que va donar a conèixer els gèneres d'entreteniment AAA, els personatges, els elements de joc i les característiques que els nadius digitals troben atractius així com els que troben a faltar i que els agradaria veure en el futur. Les troballes també van confirmar que els jocs no són només una font de diversió, sinó també de molt aprenentatge. L'anglès, les bases de la informàtica, el pensament estratègic, la geografia i la història, el treball en equip, coneixements culturals, el canvi de perspectiva i la creativitat ... tot això s'aprèn i reforça amb els videojocs. Les evidències presentades en aquesta tesi suggereixen que hi ha una demanda per a eines que facilitin l'educació intercultural. El punt culminant d'aquesta tesi és el disseny de Chuzme, un joc educatiu digital que pretén elevar l'autoconsciència (cultural) i el reconeixement del biaix cultural amb la finalitat de generar actituds positives cap als migrants, refugiats i expatriats. En resum, aquesta tesi dóna suport a la idea que els videojocs faciliten l'adquisició de l'alfabetització cultural i aporta proves que els videojocs proporcionen beneficis culturals, socials i comunicatius que esperi animin els professors a integrar activament els videojocs en la seva pràctica docent. Descriptors: investigació sobre videojocs, impacte dels videojocs, comunicació intercultural, aprenentatge basat en jocs, l'alfabetització cultural
[EN] Modern video games are complex, diverse, immersive and pervasive, and their influence on society and people is far-reaching. Video games and their impacts were initially demonised, but over time research started assessing the positive effects of games on competencies and abilities connected to twenty-first-century skills that include cultural literacy. In line with this trend, this thesis examines how entertaining commercial titles, serious games, educational games and simulations can support players in learning and in acquiring skills that enhance cultural literacy. An analysis of the common trends for the skills and competencies needed for success in the twenty-first century ¿studied by UNESCO, the British Council, IBM, Google, LinkedIn, and the World Economic Forum, among other,¿ revealed that living in a VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) world requires a new, updated model of cultural literacy. This thesis proposes such a model. A review was made of the recent literature on the impact and outcomes of video games, showing that video games can reinforce or weaken stereotypes; help to acquire cultural knowledge and develop intercultural literacy, socio-cultural literacy, cultural awareness, self-awareness, and the cultural understanding of different geopolitical spaces; and to some extent also facilitate the development of intercultural skills. The heart of the thesis is an investigation into the effectiveness of video games for tackling difficult social issues such as migratory movements and the refugee crisis. Two studies were conducted one quantitative and the other qualitative that obtained heartening results for producers of empathy video games. Many participants reported feeling more empathy and less rejection towards migrants and refugees, as well as being more motivated to actively help people in need. Additionally, a broad survey revealed the AAA entertainment game genres, characters, and in-game elements and features that digital natives find attractive and those they miss and would like in the future. The findings also confirmed that games produce not only fun but also a great deal of learning. The English language, the basics of informatics, strategic thinking, geography and history, teamwork, cultural knowledge, perspective change, and creativity are all learnt and reinforced during video game play. The evidence presented in this thesis suggests there is a demand for tools facilitating intercultural education. The high point of the thesis is the design of Chuzme, an educational digital game that focuses on raising cultural self-awareness and the acknowledgement of cultural bias in order to generate positive attitudes towards migrants, refugees and expatriates. In summary, this thesis supports the idea that video games facilitate the acquisition of cultural literacy and provides evidence on the cultural, social and communication bene¿ts of gaming that hopefully encourages scholars to actively integrate video games in their teaching practice. Keywords: games studies; intercultural communication, impact of video games, games-based learning, cultural literacy
Shliakhovchuk, O. (2019). Cultural literacy acquisition through video game environments of a digitally born generation [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/130848
TESIS

The growing popularity of game addiction discourse has necessitated study of how video game critics rhetorically construct addiction. In the following thesis, I analyze contemporary examples of texts that link game addiction to drug abuse. I use Robert Cover’s analysis of how game addiction stereotypes form in conjunction with Aristotle’s rhetorical principles to isolate the persuasive appeals used by authors to rhetorically construct game play as addictive. These addiction arguments, however, are rooted in a larger historical context, and I present examples of game guidebooks and comic books published in the late 1970s and early 1980s to illustrate their rhetorical responses to game addiction rhetoric. I found addiction arguments utilize fear appeals combined with ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade audiences to reject games as potentially dangerous and worthless virtual pursuits. The authors of early game texts use ethos, pathos, and logos to dismantle fear appeals and present video games as a new genre that can be mastered through skill and practice rather than a meaningless virtual experience. This research provides ground for further explorations of game addiction rhetoric, and implications for the continued study of video games.

Thesis--(M.A.)Cleveland State University, 2009
Abstract. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 11, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-44). Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center. Also available in print.

Research shows that teens (Generation Z) are not as information literate as required to function effectively in an information society. Yet many teens are gamers and succeed at game-related tasks that require information literacy skills. This thesis examines the potential that the online game Minecraft, and one of its related affinity spaces, may have in the development of information literacy skills in teens. This case study unfolded in three phases: a video game analysis of Minecraft, a discussion forum analysis and an interpretive report of interviews with eight teen gamers. Findings suggest that Minecraft’s design induces players to seek out game related information in affinity spaces, select appropriate sources, evaluate the information shared by fellow gamers and decide what best satisfies their information need. Further research could determine whether the specific information literacy skills in this gaming context can be generalized to other gaming environments and to non-gaming contexts.

Tv-spel är något som en signifikant andel av populationen ägnar mycket tid åt. Idag är inte tv- spel enbart något som personer har som fritidssyssla, utan kan även spelas professionellt. Vissa aspekter av tv-spel har det forskats kring, men det tycks finnas en del outforskade områden. Syftet var att beskriva och diskutera interaktionsritualer i förhållande till ”video game literacy”, genom att undersöka hur individer beskriver att de har lärt sig att spela tv-spel samt genom att diskutera kring hur spelandet kan förstås som en social interaktionsritual. Metoden har varit av kvalitativ karaktär, med semi-strukturerade intervjuer som metod för empiriinsamling. Resultatet från studien visade att spelandet av tv-spel tillsammans med andra individer kan förstås som interaktionsritualer, om de innehåller vissa element. Vidare visade studien att individer kan utveckla sina kunskaper kring tv-spel genom att delta i denna typ av interaktioner, men även att det är möjligt för individer att utveckla sina kunskaper enskilt.
Video games are something a significant portion of the population spend a lot of time playing. Today, video games aren’t something people solely play in their spare time, but also something played professionally. Some aspects of video games have been researched, however a few unexplored areas still appear to exist. The aim of this study was to describe and discuss interaction rituals in relation to “video game literacy” through examining how individuals describe how they’ve learned to play video games, as well as through discussing how playing video games can be considered an interaction ritual. This essay has utilized a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews as the method for gathering empirical data. The results from this study suggest that the playing of video games together can be considered a form of interaction ritual, if the interaction contains certain elements. Furthermore, the study showed that it is possible for individuals to develop their understanding of video games through participating in these types of interactions, however it is also possible for individuals to increase their knowledge individually.

This thesis addresses the gender-specific game access inequalities that exist between male and non-male children. To do this, it proposes a conceptual workshop design named SpielRaum, which aims to offer teens of marginalized genders a safe space to access games. By curating games for free play and combining it with guided discussions and self-reflection exercises, the workshop hopes to facilitate game literacy in a play-centric way. This sets it apart from other game-related workshops for non-male teens, which are also examined. It is found that they tend to be development-centric. Leading up to the workshop design, the game access disparities are put into context. It is found that implicit and explicit exclusion of non-male people in the games domain leads to a vicious circle of non-participation and non-representation. This in turn contributes to the socialized perception of games as a male medium and disadvantages non-male players in the context of gaming. Further, game literacy is determined as an important game access condition and way of self-defense against marginalizing game content. This is why SpielRaum aims to raise non-male participants’ awareness for their own marginalization and show them that they can unapologetically claim gaming for themselves.
Detta arbete tittar på könsspecifika ojämlikheter vad gäller tillgång till videospel som finns mellan manliga och icke-manliga ungdomar. I undersökningen föreslås en konceptuell workshop som heter SpielRaum, som siktar på att ge tonåringar som tillhör marginaliserade könsgrupper en säker miljö för att därmed göra videospel mer tillgängliga. Genom att samla spel för fritt spelande och kombinera guidade diskussioner med självreflekterande övningar, hoppas workshopen kunna ge ökad kunskap om spel på ett spelfokuserat sätt. Detta gör att den skiljer sig från andra workshop-miljöer för icke-manliga tonåringar, vilket även behandlas i arbetet. Vad som upptäcktes var att de tenderar att varautvecklingsorienterade. Under arbetet med workshop-designen sattes skillnaderna runt speltillgänglighet i fokus: det fastställdes att implicit och explicit uteslutning av icke-manliga spelare leder till en ond cirkel av icke-deltagande och icke-representation. Detta bidrar sedan till den sociala uppfattningen att spel är ett medium för män och att icke-män är missgynnade vad gäller spel. Dessutom är kunskap om spel nödvändigt om man ska kunna delta i spel, och kan användas som ett sätt att försvara sig själv mot marginaliserande innehåll i spel. Detta är anledningen till att SpielRaum siktar på att öka icke-mäns medvetenhet för sin egen marginalisering och för att visa att de kan delta i spelvärlden utan att be om lov först.

The idea of bridging literacies has been a topic of much research and theory, and educators continue to struggle to help students understand how their learning transcends the classroom walls. Contributing to the discussion, this chapter focuses on factors influencing video game learning, examining the decisions and game play of eight academically struggling eleventh-grade males. Data from two related qualitative studies suggest that direct and peripheral factors influenced students’ game play. Findings from these two studies are important to the discussion of educational gaming because they can inform educators of students’ struggles and successes in learning outside the classroom. Overall, the evaluation of students’ video gaming can provide educators insight into the affordances of this digital literacy and issues affecting student learning outside the classroom.

Video/digital games have grown into sophisticated, realistic, and engaging problem-solving virtual worlds that have their own literacy practices, affinity spaces, and online virtual communities. As a result, various studies have examined theirs to promote L2 learning and literacy. The findings of these studies suggest that digital games can promote multilingual communication, L2 vocabulary development, and situated L2 use. However, promising these findings, to-date little is known about the specific dynamics of gameplay that can facilitate L2 learning. To address this gap in the literature, this chapter will draw on interdisciplinary research on digital gaming from literacy studies, games' studies, and narratology to account for the L2 learning potentials of digital games. To explain their L2 learning potentials, the chapter will conceptualize digital games as dynamic texts, affinity spaces, and semiotic ecologies, and discuss the implications of each conceptualization for game-based L2 learning and teaching.

This chapter explores the intertextual nature of video games. Video games are inherently intertextual and have utilized intertextuality in profound ways to engage players and make meaning. Youth who play video games demonstrate complex intertextual literacies that enable them to construct and share understandings across game genres. However, video game literacy is noticeably absent from formal education. This chapter draws from bi-monthly meetings with a group of youth video gamers. Video game sessions focused on exploring aspect of video game play such as learning and civic engagements. Each session was video recorded and coded using You Tube annotation tools. Focusing on intertextuality as an organizing construct, the chapter reports on five themes that emerged that were then used to help explore the use of video games as teaching tool in a grade 11 Language Arts class. A critical concept that emerged was the idea of complex intertextual literacy that frames and enables adolescents' engagement with video games.