Making Fiscal Policy Engaging for Students in Social Studies by Used Game-Based Learning

In this study, we present the effect of game-based learning within the fiscal policy subject in the Danish Gymnasium (upper secondary). The study included 51 students from two classes in social studies. One class with 31 students was included in the experimental study, which employed the game-based learning as part of reading about fiscal policy. One class with 20 students served as the control group and engaged only in an analog reading of fiscal policy. We based the evaluation criteria, which we assessed through a questionnaire, on items from the user engagement scale and a knowledge test. Further, the evaluation consisted of an interview with the teacher in social science and interviews with nine students. The findings revealed positive effects in favour of game-based learning, especially in students’ interest in the learning material and being immersed while learning. The interviews revealed positive feedback toward the game-based learning, especially regarding the novelty and learning outcome. The results from the knowledge test were only slightly in favour for the experimental gaming group. Previous research has the same findings, but there is a lack of improved game design suggestions for how to make the perfect match between engagement and learning.