Fostering Creativity through Game-Based Approaches: A Scoping Review

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Fostering Creativity through Game-Based Approaches: A Scoping Review
Language: English
Authors: Zhitian Skylor Zhang (ORCID 0000-0001-6784-5444), Martina Seemann, Richard Joos, Markus Suren (ORCID 0000-0002-9071-3164), Helge Fischer, Mathias Hofmann
Source: Journal of Creative Behavior. 2025 59(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 31
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Elementary Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Adult Education
Descriptors: Creativity, Teaching Methods, Game Based Learning, Interdisciplinary Approach, Research Reports, Publications, Trend Analysis, Kindergarten, Elementary Secondary Education, Higher Education, Adult Education, Educational Games, Video Games, Computer Games, Creative Thinking, Thinking Skills, Problem Solving
DOI: 10.1002/jocb.1536
ISSN: 0022-0175
2162-6057
Abstract: Given the increasing emphasis on game-based approaches (GBAs) and the critical importance of cultivating creativity, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive examination of this emerging interdisciplinary field. The present study employs a scoping review methodology to provide an overview of the existing research that utilized GBAs as a means to foster creativity. Specifically, this article presents a scoping review of 61 studies published between 2000 and 2022 in English focusing on the use of GBAs to enhance creativity across various contexts. The results indicate an increasing trend in publications over the past two decades, with research clusters predominantly located in the United States, Taiwan, and Spain. Target groups primarily studied include adults in higher education, followed by children in K-12 settings, with the majority of studies conducted within classroom environments. A diverse array of GBAs have been employed in these studies, including video games, game-based learning, gamification, serious games, escape rooms, board games, and more, across both digital and non-digital media. These approaches were either developed by the researchers themselves or utilized pre-existing ones. Furthermore, GBAs have been found to foster various aspects of creativity, including creative thinking and problem-solving, flow and mastery experience, various aspects of the creative self, among others, pertaining to cognitive, motivational, affective, and sociocultural foundations. As such, this scoping review acts as a stimulus for ongoing research and refinement of game-based approaches aimed at enhancing creativity within both research and practical domains.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1462010
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:Given the increasing emphasis on game-based approaches (GBAs) and the critical importance of cultivating creativity, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive examination of this emerging interdisciplinary field. The present study employs a scoping review methodology to provide an overview of the existing research that utilized GBAs as a means to foster creativity. Specifically, this article presents a scoping review of 61 studies published between 2000 and 2022 in English focusing on the use of GBAs to enhance creativity across various contexts. The results indicate an increasing trend in publications over the past two decades, with research clusters predominantly located in the United States, Taiwan, and Spain. Target groups primarily studied include adults in higher education, followed by children in K-12 settings, with the majority of studies conducted within classroom environments. A diverse array of GBAs have been employed in these studies, including video games, game-based learning, gamification, serious games, escape rooms, board games, and more, across both digital and non-digital media. These approaches were either developed by the researchers themselves or utilized pre-existing ones. Furthermore, GBAs have been found to foster various aspects of creativity, including creative thinking and problem-solving, flow and mastery experience, various aspects of the creative self, among others, pertaining to cognitive, motivational, affective, and sociocultural foundations. As such, this scoping review acts as a stimulus for ongoing research and refinement of game-based approaches aimed at enhancing creativity within both research and practical domains.
ISSN:0022-0175
2162-6057
DOI:10.1002/jocb.1536