Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) and the 21st century skills: A comprehensive research review from 2010 to 2016

Abstract

In the past decade, there has been increasing interest in studying the educational affordances of Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). Using the KSAVE (Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, Values, Ethics) 21st Century Skills framework, this paper presents the current state of the art in MMORPGs empirical research from 2010 to 2016, considering the latest overview reported in 2010. This review sought to determine the level of maturity of the body of MMORPGs research and to identify lacks of knowledge, with respect to 10 types of 21st Century Skills. The current work considered 120 research publications and categorized 49 empirical studies according to their research foci and results on one or more types of 21st Century Skills. The results revealed a strong body of evidence suggesting that MMORPGs are spaces in which a variety of 21st Century Skills can be fostered. Yet, most MMORPGs research focuses on the investigation of the communication skill (22% of the skills examined), whilst creativity and innovation as well as problem solving and information literacy are largely unexplored in this context. The discussion focuses on understudied areas in MMORPGs research aiming to advance future inquiry that addresses current challenges.