A Method and Model for De- and Reconstructing Player-Game Interaction: The Case of the Arabic Simulation-Management Game Baalty

The potential of player-game interaction to facilitate L2 learning in stand-alone digital games has been established in many empirical investigations (e.g. Miller & Hegelheimer, 2006; Hitosugi, Schmidt, & Hayashi, 2014; Sundqvist & Sylvén, 2012); however, the fine-grained dynamics that comprise it are still largely underexplored. A potential reason for this gap is that, to date, there is a lack of refined methodologies for conceptualizing and analyzing the various processes that occur during gameplay between a learner-player and the game. The present study proposes an ecology-sensitive, multidimensional approach to de- and re-constructing player-game interaction dynamics through analysis of thick detail-rich play data from a variety of sources and levels: cognitive, virtual, and sociocultural. Using a model of player-game interaction detailing how activities interrelate and/or interact across different levels, it reconstructs player-game interaction as a holistic activity. To this end, it utilizes a variety of qualitative data sources that offer empirical information about different facets and dimensions of player-game interaction, including thinkaloud protocol, gaming journals, walkthroughs, and debriefing interviews. To illustrate the approach, this paper will apply it to interpretation of player-game interactions of one learner of Arabic as a foreign language in the Egyptian Arabic simulation-management game Baalty (PPIC-Work, 2004). Findings include the observation that the L2 learner-player played their game in her L2 by decoding in-game discourses and using in-game semiotic resources. The paper will include discussion of theoretical background, research implications, and potential applications of this approach.