DS Journal of Multidisciplinary (DSM)

Research Article | Open Access | Download Full Text

Volume 2 | Issue 4 | Year 2025 | Article Id: DSM-V2I4P101 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/DSM-V2I4P101

Developing Interactive Learning Games for Kids

Minh-Dat Nham, Chi-Tan Nguyen, Thi-Vuong Pham, Thai-Phuong-Thanh Cao

ReceivedRevisedAcceptedPublished
08 Oct 202515 Nov 202501 Dec 202506 Dec 2025

Citation

Minh-Dat Nham, Chi-Tan Nguyen, Thi-Vuong Pham, Thai-Phuong-Thanh Cao. “Developing Interactive Learning Games for Kids.” DS Journal of Multidisciplinary, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 1-16, 2025.

Abstract

The use of mobile devices by Vietnamese students is on the rise, making it more important than ever to use game-based learning technologies in schools. Even though there are a lot of educational games to help people learn English, these tools often don't take culture into account, which makes them less useful for people who don't speak English. This study presents Golden Words – The Fairy Tale Journey, an innovative educational game that uniquely combines Vietnamese cultural narratives with game-based English learning, a feature largely missing in existing language-learning games like Duolingo and Memrise. By incorporating traditional folklore into pedagogically sound game mechanics, the study addresses a significant deficiency in culturally contextualized game-based learning for non-English-speaking students. The game is based on local cultural stories and uses elements from traditional Vietnamese fairy tales, like The Golden Star Fruit Tree, to make learning more fun and meaningful. The game tries to get students more involved, motivated, and able to remember what they've learned by connecting language lessons to cultural content they already know.

Keywords

Game-Based Learning, English Language Acquisition, Vietnamese Primary Education, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL).

References

[1] Jerome Bruner, “The Narrative Construction of Reality,” Critical Inquiry, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 1-21, 1991. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[2] Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, How to Motivate Children: Science-Based Approaches for Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers, 2019. [online]. Available: https://www.chconline.org/resourcelibrary/how-to-motivate-children-science-based-approaches-for-parents-caregivers-and-teachers/

[3] Sebastian Deterding et al., “From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining "Gamification",” Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, Tampere, Finland, pp. 9-15, 2011. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[4] Stefano I. Di Domenico, and Richard M. Ryan, "The Emerging Neuroscience of Intrinsic Motivation: A New Frontier in Self-Determination Research,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 11, pp. 1-14, 2017. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[5] Alyssa Froehling, Constructivism, Constructionism, and Video Games, Filament Games, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/constructivism-constructionism-and-video-games/

[6] Tracy Fullerton, Game Design Workshop, 3rd ed., CRC Press, 2014. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[7] James Paul Gee, “What Video Games have to Teach us About Learning and Literacy,” Computers in Entertainment, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-20, 2003. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[8] Tú Anh Hà, and Cristina A. Huertas-Abril, “Teachers’ Perspectives of Bilingual Education in Primary Schools in Vietnam: A Qualitative Study,” English as Foreign Language International Journal, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 30-50, 2022. 
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[9] Juho Hamari, Jonna Koivisto, and Harri Sarsa, “Does Gamification Work? -- A Literature Review of Empirical Studies on Gamification,” 2014 47th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Waikoloa, HI, USA, pp. 3025-3034, 2014. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[10] Dessy Harissanty et al., “The Utilization of Flashcards in Children’s Information Literacy Development,” Library Philosophy and Practice, vol. 2020, pp. 1-12, 2020. 
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[11] Darshana Jayemanne, Gaming and the Arts of Storytelling, MDPI Books, pp. 1-146, 2019. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[12] Nico King, Pedagogy in Games: Exploring the Intersection of Learning Theories and Game Theories, 2023. [online]. Available: https://nicoking.medium.com/pedagogy-in-games-exploring-the-intersection-of-learning-theories-and-game-theories-25c21dfb0bf5

[13] Maria Klatte, Kirstin Bergström, and Thomas Lachmann, “Does Noise Affect Learning? A Short Review on Noise Effects on Cognitive Performance in Children,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 4, pp. 1-6, 2013. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[14] Nathaniel Lasry, Eric Mazur, and Jessica Watkins, “Peer Instruction: From Harvard to the Two-Year College,” American Journal of Physics, vol. 76, no. 11, pp. 1066-1069, 2008. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[15] Ly Thi Thu Nga, “The Effectiveness of using English as a Second Language in Education – Case Study in Vietnam -A Review,” YMER, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 1560-1571, 2025. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[16] Jamie Madigan, How Video Games do Feedback Well (and Poorly), The Psychology of Video Games, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.psychologyofgames.com/2019/01/how-video-games-do-feedback-well-and-poorly/

[17] Max Planck Institute for Human Development, MPRG NeuroCode – Neural and Computational basis of Learning, Memory, and Decision-Making, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/research/concluded-areas/mprg-neurocode

[18] Ministry of Education and Training, Implementing Compulsory English and IT Teaching: Solid Foundation for the Future, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://moet.gov.vn/tintuc/Pages/tin-hoat-dong-cua-bo.aspx?ItemID=7524 cite not reached.

[19] Mai Thanh Nguyen, “The Benefits of a Bilingual Program in English Language Teaching in Vietnam,” Journal of English as an International Language, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 53-64, 2017. 
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[20] Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, and Nguyen Thuy Nga, “Bilingual Training At Primary School Level: An Insider's Perspective,” VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 1-10, 2018. 
[CrossRef] [Publisher Link]

[21] Q&Me, Smartphone Use in Children, 2023. Online. Available: https://qandme.net/vi/baibaocao/su-dung-dien-thoai-thong-minh-o-tre-em.html

[22] Siddharth Reddy et al., “Unbounded Human Learning: Optimal Scheduling for Spaced Repetition,”Proceedings of the 22nd ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Minin, San Francisco, California, USA, pp. 1815-1824, 2016. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[23] Chandralekha Singh, “Impact of Peer Interaction on Conceptual Test Performance,” arXiv.preprint, pp. 1-18, 2016. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[24] Burrhus Frederic Skinner, The Science of Learning and the Art of Teaching, The studies in Educational Development-5: Education and Manpower Development, 2nd ed., pp. 174-188, 2004. 
[Google Scholar]

[25] Burrhus Frederic Skinner, The Technology of Teaching, B.F. Skinner Foundation, New York, 2016. 
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[26] Paul Smolen, Yili Zhang, and John H. Byrne, “The Right Time to Learn: Mechanisms and Optimization of Spaced Learning,” arXivpreprint, pp. 1-34, 2016. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[27] Constance Steinkuehler, and Sean Duncan, “Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds,” Journal of Science Education and Technology, vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 530-543, 2008. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[28] Keren Stern-Ellran et al., “Disruptive Effects of Colorful vs. Non-Colorful Play Areas on Structured play-A Pilot Study with Preschoolers,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, pp. 1-9, 2016. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[29] Jack Tsao, Game-based Learning and Storytelling for Teaching and Learning, [Online]. Available: https://commoncore.hku.hk/Teacher-materials/Guidebook%20on%20Game-based%20Learning%20and%20Storytelling.pdf

[30] University XP, What is Constructivism?, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.universityxp.com/blog/2021/3/9/what-is-constructivism

[31] Quang Vu et al.,  Multi-Agent System for Game Development through Unreal Engine, Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications, vol. 371, pp. 242-252, 2023. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[32] Chi-Jen Lin et al., “Facilitating EFL Students’ English Grammar Learning Performance and Behaviors: A Contextual Gaming Approach,” Computers and Education, vol. 152, 2020. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[33] Jing Cheng, Chen Lu, and Qiaoling Xiao, “Effects of Gamification on EFL Learning: A Quasi-Experimental Study of Reading Proficiency and Language Enjoyment among Chinese Undergraduates,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 16, 2025. 
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[34] UNESCO, Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage A Resource Kit for Teachers Based on the Lessons Learnt from a Joint UNESCO-EU Pilot Project, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381477

[35] War Child, Can’t Wait to Learn: Design and Approach to Digital Game-Based Learning, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.warchild.net/documents/102/180003517_-_WC_Game_Documentation_Report_Design_v10_interactive_1.pdf

Developing Interactive Learning Games for Kids