Learning theory in game-based learning at Spanish-speaking universities in Latin America

Game-based learning is widely adopted in universities, yet the learning theory behind it is seldom examined outside research on gamification. This narrative review described how learning theory grounded game-based learning in Spanish-speaking Latin American higher education and appraised whether the theory invoked corresponded to the evidence reported. A total of 39 studies from 9 countries were coded on five dimensions: theoretical anchoring, theory family, design and evaluation frameworks, study design with outcome evidence, and the relations among them. Of the studies, 20 named a theory, model or framework, 10 invoked a pedagogical principle only and 9 identified neither. Constructivist and sociocultural theories were named most often. A comparison group was present in 9 studies, and 13 reported an objective learning or performance measure. Only 7 of the 20 studies naming a theory used an instrument matched to it. Theory framed most activities but seldom determined what was measured, and studies with no stated basis reported objective measures as often as those naming a theory. Authors could state the mechanism that a game is meant to activate, choose outcome measures that match it and compare versions of a game, not only games against lectures.