Boosting the use and (re)creation of technological and digital media made us, educators, reflect upon the need to rethink and shift the learning and teaching processes towards a more hypersensory and gamified approach, which would foster a more sustainable development of the pupil and the tackling of the so-called 21st century skills within the virtual or blended classroom. As it is commonly known, teachers have been exploring Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) tools, but due to the pandemic context some have also been trying to explore less traditional formats, namely Role-Playing Games (RPG). The use of teaching based and supported on technology and its assumptions are back on the agenda due to COVID-19. (vii) Methodologically, the teaching method is based on coded learning objects that are decoded by learners in a process of problematization, that leads to experimentation in gaming habits and, possibly, change. (vi) The educational practice involves learners’ experiences with digital games, in order to enable them to transfer their criticality to their actual practice. (v) The curriculum is created in a dialogic process meaning that both educationists and students collaborate on defining the relevant themes. (iv) Regarding positive and negative effects, the proposal considers the agency of learners to understand, judge and act on their own game habits, rather than imposing gaming rules or values. (iii) The inclusion of positive usage of digital games claimed by researchers, considering that developing agency and criticality towards the positive potential may support learners to reach them. (ii) The inclusion of the potential negative effects of digital games that are pointed by researchers in classroom discussions, considering that criticality towards the negative effects may minimize them. Seven characteristics shape the proposal: (i) The work of Paulo Freire emphasises criticality, rather than previous studies that proposed an emphasis on creative, cultural or protective approaches to media. addictive behaviour, violent affection) effects of gaming. system thinking, problem solving) and negative (e.g.
Using the media education and game literacy literature as a basis, we integrated the work of the critical pedagogue Paulo Freire (1970/2012) and game studies that claim both positive (e.g. This paper proposes a new concept of game literacy in order to inspire an alternative game education practice within media education programmes. The objective of media education is to improve this interaction, what is also described as developing media literacy, and in the specific case of digital games, game literacy. Such effects are not caused by digital games per se, but by the interaction between player and digital game. Digital games, as other technologies, are evaluated as monsters or heroes from different esearchers.