Promoting Critical Digital Literacies through Life is Strange Video Game to Address Bullying in the EFL Classroom

Abstract

This youth participatory action research (YPAR) aimed at assessing the impact of the video game Life is Strange in promoting critical digital literacies to address bullying among sixth graders. A group of 22 sixth-grade students were selected to interact with the video game in order to explore bullying scenarios. Participants completed a problem tree to draw a parallel between the video game and real-life situations. Later, they took part in a focus group to reflect on the understandings obtained through the exploration of the video game. The data analysis revealed that the pedagogical intervention around the video game enabled students to analyze causes, manifestations, and possible responses to bullying in both digital and real-life contexts. Additionally, students demonstrated criticality and ethical awareness concerning real-world issues such as bullying. Researchers conclude that video games may be useful pedagogical tools for developing critical digital literacies in the EFL classroom, as long as there is an active mediation from the part of the teacher through a well-planned pedagogical intervention.