Evaluation of the effectiveness of game creation by youth for media and information literacy

This chapter presents findings of GamiLearning (2015-2018) research project aimed to promote critical and participative dimensions of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in youth through the creation of digital games. Students aged 9 to 14 years old from Portugal and Austin, Texas, participated in the study that included an intervention at schools, based on a constructivist approach. Fieldwork was conducted in three schools in Portugal and one school in the USA. A MIL questionnaire was designed and administered before and after the project's intervention. Preliminary findings from the four schools indicate statistically significant differences between pre and post questionnaires. The MIL questionnaire was validated for students in the 2nd and 3rd cycles of Basic Education in Portugal. The Exploratory Factorial Analysis indicate three subscales: Media Creation, Interaction, and Information Management. Results from the intervention group in Portugal indicate statistically significant differences in Media Creation and Interaction when compared to the control group.