Developing Intercultural Awareness and Sensitivity Through Digital Game Play

Life in the 21st century is characterized by globalization: increased traveling and migration, international networking and cooperation and more contact between people from culturally diverse backgrounds, face-to-face as well as through technology. Considering these developments, intercultural competence, which comprises intercultural knowledge, attitudes and skills that allow people to interact appropriately, successfully and effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds (Deardorff, 2008), can be regarded as a key competence in the 21st century. To this date, the development of intercultural competence has mainly been promoted through workshops, seminars and exchange programs – time- and cost-intensive methods that do not allow everybody to participate. With intercultural competence becoming so important in our increasingly multicultural societies, it is desirable to find new ways to promote intercultural competence development that will enable more people to acquire intercultural knowledge, attitudes and skills. This paper examines the potential of digital games for the promotion of intercultural awareness and sensitivity, two important components of intercultural competence. Intercultural awareness refers to people’s awareness of the fact that their culture and way of life is only one of many and that there are differences in norms, values, customs and social systems around the world (Chen & Starosta, 2000). Intercultural sensitivity in a broad sense comprises the affective side of intercultural competence, that is positive emotions, such as open-mindedness and interest, flexibility and ethno-relativism (Chen & Starosta, 2000). Considering the great popularity of digital games as entertainment media nowadays and the educational potential that has been ascribed to these media by a number of researchers (see for example, Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2007; Gee, 2003; Gibson, Aldrich, & Prensky, 2007; Vorderer & Bryant, 2006), they might be an innovative way to encourage the development of intercultural competence. By immersing themselves in the virtual environments of digital games and actively engaging in the construction of characters and narratives, players can act and see the outcomes of their actions and make experiences close to that of the physical world, which can lead to learning and development (Ritterfeld, Cody, & Vorderer, 2009). This paper presents results of three case studies with the digital simulation “RealLives 2010” (by Educational Simulations) in Australian, American and Swiss International schools. In these schools, the simulation, which allows players to “lead” lives anywhere in the world from birth to death, was used by English and Social Studies teachers with their 7th-Grade students over a period of three months. Empirical data obtained through observations, in-depth interviews and additional questionnaire surveys demonstrates the educational potential of a simulation like “RealLives 2010” as well as the obstacles and dangers of using such a medium in formal educational environments. The results of the study show that identifying with a culturally different character and making experiences in a virtual world can lead to greater intercultural awareness and encourage open-mindedness, interest and empathy in many student players. They also emphasize the importance of sharing and comparing experiences with peers and the crucial role of the teacher with regard to support and scaffolding of learning and development.