Preservice Computer Teachers’ Selections of Game Design Dynamics Based upon Their Game Preferences, Habits and Technical Backgrounds Turkan Karakus Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology Mersin University, Turkey karakus@metu.edu.tr Yavuz Inal Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology Mersin University, Ankara, Turkey yinal@metu.edu.tr Kursat Cagiltay Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey kursat@metu.edu.tr Abstract: This study aims to investigate relationships between educational game design dynamics of preservice computer teachers and their previous experiences about computer games, game preferences, game habits and opinions about discrepancies of games. 28 4th year students joined a 3D educational game design course participated to the study. They were supposed to design games before beginning to their projects. Effects of their technical backgrounds on their scenarios and motivational elements were examined according to inquiry results. To collect data, demographic questionnaire, a written-inquiry aiming to analyze dynamics of educational games that they plan to implement and reflection critics and comments about 3 different game genres were used. Results showed that they concerned with motivational and attractive elements, capability of improving thinking skills. They don’t prefer designing multiplayer games for educational aims and they prefer design games as complementary activity. Game-like learning environments are gaining popularity among the educators. Since computer games have many characteristics such as motivating students and keeping their attention high during the course hours, educators prefer using them to enhance students’ learning capabilities. Besides, games provide rich interactive environment for learning (Reiber, 1996) and they are powerful tools for education when they are used appropriately (Alessi & Trollip, 2001). There are some motivating and entertaining elements in games and Squire (2003) argues that these elements can be used by instructional technologist as a guideline while they develop interactive game-like learning environments. Story of games draws a framework for setting these elements (Reiber, 1996). Because story and scenario are two well-known frameworks for computer games, it is important to compose an appropriate scenario to motivate and entertain students while playing educational games. A study conducted by (Amory et al., 1999) showed that the story lines were more interested part of games than others for children. In order to compose appropriate and intelligent scenarios, examining and playing other games to understand motivational and entertaining issues and some appropriate parts for educational context have been getting more important. Dickey (2005) argues that playing commercial games provides to understand how entertaining elements can be put into educational games. Computer games, especially strategy games, provide several thinking skills for players. Turvey (2006) states that computer games have huge power to construct connection between virtual life and real life to think critically. Educational computer games provide several problem solving contexts which are the main goal of education (Honga & Liub, 2003). Since teachers who can create technology rich learning conditions are the most powerful people in learning environments (Bratina et. al, 2002), they should find different ways to provide students with active learning process. Teachers should design and organize the “technology- enhanced learning” for their classrooms and they should design materials with computer, internet, and other media (Rogers, 2002). Perceptions of teachers about games for educational purposes play a key role for games in terms of their entrance to the classrooms. According to Can and Cagiltay (2006), preservice computer teachers in Turkey think that educational games are effective learning environments and they plan to use games when they begin their careers, however less than half of them think that game cannot not be a main instructional tool.