British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010 256–270

doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00921.x

Factors affecting teachers’ adoption of educational

computer games: A case study

Mansureh Kebritchi

Mansureh Kebritchi, PhD, is an Instructional Technology graduate from the University of Central
Florida, Orlando, Florida. Address for correspondence: Dr Mansureh Kebritchi, 1608 Oviedo Grove
Circle, Apt. 8, Oviedo, FL 32765, USA. Email: kebritchi@gmail.com

Abstract
Even though computer games hold considerable potential for engaging and
facilitating learning among today’s children, the adoption of modern educa-
tional computer games is still meeting significant resistance in K-12 education.
The purpose of this paper is to inform educators and instructional designers on
factors affecting teachers’ adoption of modern educational computer games. A
case study was conducted to identify the factors affecting the adoption of
Dimenxian, which was a new educational computer game designed to teach
Algebra to middle school students. The diffusion of innovations theory was
used as the conceptual framework of this study. The results indicated that
compatibility, relative advantage, complexity and trialability played important
roles in the game adoption. These findings were compared with the existing
literature on (1) the adoption of educational software, and (2) the barriers in
the use of educational computer games in K-12 settings to help guide future
research and practice. The comparison showed that (1) adoption attributes for
the games and other educational software had a similar pattern from high to
low significance: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and
observability; and (2) the game adoption factors were more inclusive than the
barriers of using the computer games.

Introduction
New educational products, even with obvious advantages, are being adopted very
slowly by educational institutions (Rogers, 1962, 2003). Educational computer (video)
games are considered effective teaching tools because they (1) use action instead of
explanation, (2) create personal motivation and satisfaction, (3) accommodate multiple
learning styles and skills, (4) reinforce mastery skills and (5) provide interactive and
decision-making contexts (Kebritchi & Hirumi, 2008). Educational computer games
are considered powerful tools that have the potential for improving the quality of the
American educational system, yet the games are not being readily adopted by schools
© 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Becta. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ,
UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.
 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 257

(Federation of American Scientists, 2006). This problem necessitates investigation of

the factors that influence the adoption of games.

A review of literature indicated that there is a dearth of empirical study in identifying

adoption factors of educational computer games in K-12 settings. The literature review
found a number of studies that have identified challenges in the use of educational
computer games in school settings (eg, Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2005; Gros, 2003; Klawe &
Phillips, 1995; Lopez-Moreto & Lopez, 2007; Shaffer, 2006; Squire, Giovanetto, Devane
& Durga, 2005). However, no study was found with particular focus on game adoption
in school settings. In addition, the relationship between game adoption and game use
factors has not been investigated.

Therefore, this study was conducted to (1) identify factors affecting teachers’ adoption
of educational computer games, (2) determine whether the factors affecting the adop-
tion of modern educational computer games differ from those identified in the existing
literature on the adoption of educational software in K-12 settings and (3) identify
whether the adoption factors are related to the barriers of using the games in K-12
settings. In short, the following questions guided this study:
• What are the factors affecting teachers’ adoption of educational computer games?
• Is there any relationship between the adoption factors of the educational computer
games and other educational software?
• Is there any relationship between the game adoption factors and the challenges of
using the games in school settings?
To answer these questions, this paper is divided into four main sections. Section I
provides the answer to the first research question by explaining the method and results
of a qualitative case study conducted to identify game adoption factors from teachers’
perspectives. In this study, Rogers’ (1962, 2003) theory of diffusion of innovation was
used to examine the adoption of Dimenxian (Tabula Digita Inc., Long Island City, NY), a
modern mathematics computer game. Sections II and III provide answers to the second
and third research questions by providing the results of two literature reviews con-
ducted based on Cooper’s (1988) framework. Finally, Section IV presents the conclusion
of the study by integrating the results of the previous three sections.

The results of this study help Dimenxian and possibly similar game designers modify
their games based on teachers’ needs and preferences. In addition, the results charac-
terise the pattern of the practice of adopting Dimenxian and similar games by K-12
teachers. A comprehensive description of the game, situation and research participants
is provided to make it possible to use the results of this study in other similar situations.

Section I: Identifying Dimenxian adoption factors

A case study with qualitative method was conducted to facilitate dialogue between
mathematics teachers, who were looking for engaging interactive tools to enhance the
teaching of complicated subjects, and Dimenxian designers, who need to understand

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258 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010

teachers’ needs and perspectives. The goal of the case study was to understand a larger
phenomenon of the factors affecting the adoption of modern educational computer
games by examination of the adoption factors of Dimenxian.

Conceptual framework
Rogers’ (1962, 2003) theory of diffusion of innovation was used as the conceptual
framework of this study to examine the game adoption factors. Instructional technolo-
gists have begun to use Rogers’ (1962, 2003) theory on the Diffusion of Innovations to
better understand and facilitate the adoption of new educational products (Surry,
1997). Rogers’ theory has been widely used in a variety of settings, ranging from
diffusion of rural technology among farmers to the adoption of innovations in educa-
tional settings (Berger, 2005; Martins, Steil & Todesco, 2004). This theory is useful for
instructional technologists to explain, predict and account for the factors that impede
or facilitate the diffusion of their products (Surry, 1997).

An innovation refers to ‘an idea, practice, or object that is perceived as new by an

individual or other unit of adoption’ (Rogers, 2003, p. 12). An innovation is not nec-
essarily new in its design, but it is new to its users (Berger, 2005). Dimenxian had not
been previously used by the research participants in this study and therefore it was
considered an innovation. Rogers (2003) considered the following five key attributes of
innovations that affect adoption of an innovation:
1. Relative advantage refers to the perceptions of adopters on the advantages or disad-
vantages of an innovation.
2. Compatibility refers to the degree to which an innovation is perceived as compatible
with the adopters’ work and values.
3. Complexity refers to the degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to
understand and use.
4. Trialability refers to the degree to which an innovation may be experimented by
adopters on a limited basis before full actual use.
5. Observability refers to the degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to
potential adopters.
The diffusion of Dimenxian was investigated from teachers’ perspectives along these five
attributes.

Apparatus
Modern computer games refer to the latest generation of computer games designed for
training or educational purposes. These games significantly differ from the edutainment
game generation in the 1980s and 1990s, as they may use advanced three-dimensional
(3-D) graphics and interfaces, multiplayer options, high-speed telecommunication
technologies (eg, Quest Atlantis (the Center for Research on Learning and Technology
(CRLT) at the School of Education, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana)), immer-
sive 3-D environments and visual storytelling (eg, Civilization III (Firaxis Games, Hunt

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 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 259

Figure 1: Screenshots of Dimenxian

Valley, MD)), and learner-centred and constructivist learning principles to engage

learners and to facilitate learning (eg, KM Quest (CIBIT_Consultants Educators,
Bilthoven, Country, Netherlands)).

Dimenxian, as an example of modern educational computer game, was used in this

study to investigate teachers’ perceptions on its adoption. Dimenxian was a single
player game that taught how to graph linear equations and understand coordinate
system by engaging players in completing four mathematics-related missions within a
3-D immersive environment designed with advanced graphics. The game started with
a brief introduction, which explained the game mission of locating weather stations
in an island. Dimenxian was considered a modern computer game because the game
had (1) a 3-D immersive environment (see Figure 1), (2) a visual storytelling feature
in which the story and context of the game were visualised in the game, and (3) a
learner-centred nature in which the players learned about the coordinate system
through completing the game missions. In addition, the Dimenxian website, which
provided game information and support, was used as an example of a modern game
resource website.

Participants and procedures

Rossman and Rallis’ (2003) purposeful sample strategy was used to recruit three teach-
ers with over 7 years of experience teaching mathematics to participate in this study.
The participants were two females and one male, between the ages of 28 and 38 years,
with advanced computer skills.

Two of the participants were frequent computer game players, while the third one was
not interested in playing computer games.

The teachers participated in individual 2-hour interview sessions. Each interview pro-
vided the teachers with the Dimenxian website, the demonstration of the game and the
opportunity to play the game. The participants were then asked to respond to a series of

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open-ended questions, which focused on the five key attributes of the diffusion of inno-
vation theory, including (1) relative advantage, (2) compatibility, (3) complexity, (4)
trialability and (5) observability. A copy of the interview questions is provided in the
Appendix. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed.

Data analysis
To analyse the interview transcriptions, Charmaz’s (2000) grounded theory was used.
The Grounded theory refers to a qualitative methodology, which explains an under
study phenomenon by developing a theory based on the collected qualitative data. In
this method, the data are compared, coded and categorised to make explicit an implicit
belief system (Moghaddam, 2006). To identify the adoption factors of the Dimenxian
game, the emerging key points in the interview transcriptions were identified, refined,
compared and categorised. Based on the categorised key points, explanations about the
adoption factors of the game were drawn. The case study findings are summarised
further in the paper.

Results
The teachers suggested that the combination of learning with fun and the alignment
with learners’ learning preferences were two main reasons of using the mathematics
game. One of the teachers suggested: ‘I think it (the game) is good as far as helping
students who struggle grasping certain concepts like the graphs, and puts fun twists on
the concepts so that they can see it differently, in ways that they did not see them before.’
The other teacher stated: ‘I think the graphics will be attractive to lots of my students,
they love anything with video games.’

In addition, the teachers suggested that they would have adopted the game if the game
had met a number of requirements. The teachers’ highlighted suggestions are categor-
ised into the five attributes of diffusion of innovation theory and are provided in the
following parts.

Relative advantage
1. The game website should provide the results of the credible empirical studies indi-
cating that the players
1.1. used mathematical concepts, not the trial and error strategy, to complete the
game missions.
1.2. used the concepts learned in the game in real situations such as classroom
homework and exams. One of the teachers stated: ‘I am not still sure about the
whole idea of transferring the concept, I mean the whole thing is grid numeri-
cally and they will eventually find the position, I am not sure if they are really
connecting the whole idea of x and y with playing the game. I am not sure
if there is a connection.’ The other teacher stated: ‘The ability of transfer is
important. Do they really learn the concept or they learn how to play the
game?’
2. The game should be appropriate for both male and female students. The game’s
genre (eg, adventure, action or strategy), graphics and the game’s avatar play roles

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 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 261

in making the game more appropriate for both genders. According to the teachers,
in general, female students are more interested in games with a rich story, while
male students preferred action games. In addition, the game should provide the
option of having either a female or male avatar. Teachers suggested that they would
not use the game if it only appealed to one particular gender. One of the teachers
explained: ‘I think girls like to have more background information about the game
missions to get inspired to play the game.’ The other teacher stated: ‘I can see boys
getting into this more just because of shooting parts.’
3. There should be enough information and support on the game website to facilitate
the integration of the game in the classrooms. One of the teachers stated: ‘The game
website needs to have a teacher resource section to provide resources such as hand-
outs, worksheets or activities that teachers can give to their students and go along
with the game; most teachers would love to have additional supplemental items.’
4. The game should engage learners in activities that require thinking and problem
solving as strategies for solving mathematical problems.

Compatibility
1. There should be enough time allocated in using the game in the classrooms. The
teachers’ classroom times are full of activities to meet the standards required by the
school districts. Teachers reported that they had difficulty finding extra time for
using the game.
2. There should be an alignment between the games’ learning objectives and the state
and national standards.
3. There should be enough number of available computers in the teachers’ classrooms.
One of the teachers stated: ‘The compatibility is definitely a big problem because
some schools have only two computers in average in their classrooms, while a lot of
schools don’t have any computers in their classrooms and they go to the computer
lab once a week. So access is an issue. It’s interesting to see if students access the
game at their homes. Then students do not have to rely on school computers.’ The
other teacher mentioned: ‘I think the biggest issue is having accessible computers in
schools.’
4. There should be technology training for the teachers. One of the teachers suggested:
‘I think teachers who are not familiar with technology may have difficulties using
the games.’

Complexity
There should be an appropriate amount of complexity in the game to attract the stu-
dents. The game should not be too easy or too difficult for the students. The teachers
suggested the following aspects of the game’s complexities:
1. The game should use a rich context to become more attractive for the learners. One
of the teachers suggested: ‘If I was going to give a setting or context to coordinate
axes, I would tie it with history or geography, something like a Carmen San Diego
(Riverdeep, Inc. San Francisco, CA) game. For example, we can say you are in this
country, move to that country, or you are in this landmark in this city, move to that

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262 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010

landmark in that city, (then ask them) which direction you have to go, how far you
have to go, then you establish coordinate axis.’
2. The game should have a mathematical content that is rich enough for both the
teachers and the students to spend time and energy on. The teachers liked to use the
games for teaching complex topics that were hard to teach with traditional teaching
methods. Otherwise, they did not see any point in spending their classroom time
playing the game. One of teachers stated: ‘It (the game) needs to be more content-
rich in a sense that it has to actually demand more mathematical concepts, that’s
what I mean by content-rich, or at least it should guide them toward some math-
ematical ideas. I am not interested in letting them warm up in the game; I am
interested in using the game to develop their mathematical sense.’ In addition,
further interaction was suggested to be added to the game. One of the teachers
explained: ‘To me it doesn’t connect enough, it doesn’t build the ideas, or the game
doesn’t interact with them enough. It gives them a mission, and tells that you lose or
win the mission; in mathematics, the process is more important than starting and
ending points. So much more can be learned from the process than straight yes or no
answers; success or failure of the missions.’
3. The game should allow teachers to adjust the levels of difficulty of the game based on
their students’ levels. This can be achieved by providing cheat codes so that teachers
can skip the easy parts of the games and adjust the game to a challenging level for
individual students. One of the teachers explained that adjustment was very impor-
tant, because ‘when you have a limited time, you just want them to play the parts
that could add to their (students’) knowledge skills. So there should be the option of
going to different levels.’

Trialability
There should be opportunities for the teachers to experience the game before adopting
it. The teachers suggested that offering a trial version of the game for a limited amount
of time is an appropriate method. The teachers suggested the following issues related to
the trialability of the games.

One of the teachers stated: ‘I like to see by myself how the product works before
adopting it. Every year we are offered three or four software. It’s overwhelming to learn
even one, let alone three, four, or five of them. Most of the times, the schools purchase
software that the teachers don’t know how to use in a proper way. Lots of teachers are
hesitant to use technology in their classrooms. I think trainers from the software com-
panies should come at the beginning of school to show how to properly use the soft-
ware.’ The other teacher stated: ‘I am not going to just bring something to my class
before I had tried it. I definitely want to try it by myself even if lots of people recommend
the software’. The third teacher explained: ‘In most schools, funds are limited and
educators are not going to buy software until they try it. If a game company solely
shows the game and say this is the game, I would say most financially burdened aca-
demic institutions which are public schools would have to say no because it comes down
to taking a chance on the unknown.’

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 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 263

Observability
The attribute of observability of the game which dealt with the visibility of the effec-
tiveness of Dimenxian in other schools was not identified as a strong factor influencing
teachers’ decisions on adopting the game. One of the teachers stated: ‘I would be
tempted in using the game based on comments of some of my colleagues while I would
be hesitant to use it based on comments of some other colleagues.’ The other teacher
explained: ‘Even if lots of people come to me and say this is a great game I definitely
will still want to look at it by myself before I decide to adopt it for my classroom.’ The
third teacher stated: ‘The others’ comments may not affect my decision on the game
adoption.’

Additional emergent issues

Games should not be used as a teacher replacement
It should be clearly stated that the game is a supplement, and not a replacement of the
teachers. One of the teachers stated: ‘(In this game) there is too much emphasis on the
fact that this is an innovative learning tool. Because of this extra emphasis, some
teachers may conclude that they don’t need to do the lectures, and instead they may
rely significantly on the game and use it as a teaching replacement and not as a
supplement. Although it is a good supplement for the teachers, it should not take the
place of the teachers. It should be explicitly stated that it is a teaching supplement.’

Teachers versus students

It is suggested that students may adopt and use the game more easily than the teachers.
One of the teachers stated: ‘As parents and educators, a lot of us don’t have the notion
that we adopted technology, we did not grow with it. Most kids nowadays are grown up
with these games; so there would not be a drastic change for them to use the game. It is
just a step to take to explore the game because they are already exposed to computer
games.’ It seems that teachers may adopt the game easier if they are reminded about
this notion of teachers’ and students’ technical skill differences.

In summary, the teachers’ suggestions indicated that Dimenxian key adoption factors
included an empirical-based indication of effectiveness of the game, support, problem-
solving instructional strategy, a rich mathematical content, the game learning objective
alignment with the state and national standards, time and technology compatibility,
having an appropriate amount of game complexity and access to a trial version of the
game.

Section II: the comparison of Dimenxian adoption factors with educational

software adoption factors
To compare the game adoption factors with other educational software adoption factors
based on the diffusion of innovation theory, a literature review using Cooper’s (1988)
framework was conducted. Cooper’s (1988) framework included the following stages:
(1) problem formulation, (2) data collection, (3) data evaluation, (4) analysis and inter-
pretation and (5) presentation of the results. This framework was used because it
provided a procedural systematic method which increased the validity of research

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264 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010

Table 1: The adoption factors of education software along with the five attributions of the diffusion of
innovation theory (Rogers, 2003)

Relative
Product/study advantage Compatibility Complexity Trialability Observability

Instructional technology X X
(Holloway, 1977)
Instructional technology X X
(Wyner, 1974)
Instructional technology X
(Eads, 1984)
Instructional technology X X X
(Surry & Farquhar, 1997)
Email (Shelley, 1998) X
Web-based educational X X
technology (Tetiwat &
Huff, 2002)
Internet as teaching tool X X
(Martins et al, 2004)

synthesis. The EBSCO HOST (http://search.ebscohost.com/) search engine with the

following keywords was searched: ‘diffusion of innovation and technology’, ‘adoption
and educational software’ and ‘Rogers’ theory and software’.

The results indicated that five attributes of Rogers’ (1962, 2003) theory were used in
several studies investigating the diffusion of (1) instructional technologies (Eads, 1984;
Holloway, 1977; Surry & Farquhar, 1997; Wyner, 1974), (2) email (Shelley, 1998), (3)
web-based educational technology (Tetiwat & Huff, 2002) and (4) the Internet as a
teaching tool (Martins et al, 2004; see Table 1).

As shown in Table 1, the following three attributes were reported to play a significant
role in the adoption of educational technology products: (1) compatibility, found in five
of seven studies, (2) relative advantage, found in four of seven studies and (3) complex-
ity, found in two of seven studies. While trialability and observability were each found to
play a role in technology adoption in only one of seven studies. A similar trend was
emerged in the adoption of Dimenxian. The adoption factors have been categorised into
the five diffusion attributes. The results indicated that relative advantages and compat-
ibility, each with four factors, and complexity, with three factors, played significant roles
in the adoption of the game. Trialability with one factor played a less important role
in the game adoption, and observability with no factor played no role in the game
adoption. Table 2 shows a comparison of the diffusion attributes in the adoption of
Dimenxian and other educational technology products. In addition, the importance of
diffusion attributes is sorted in Table 2 from the relative advantages and compatibility
with the highest ranking to the observability with the lowest ranking.

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 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 265

Table 2: Comparison of game adoption factors with other educational software along with the five
attributions of the diffusion of innovation theory

Relative
advantages Compatibility Complexity Trialability Observability

Dimenxian 4 factors 4 factors 3 factors 1 factor None

Educational software 4 studies 5 studies 2 studies 1 study 1 study

Section III: The relationship between Dimenxian adoption factors and

computer games integration barriers in school settings
To identify whether the game adoption factors were related to the game integration
barriers, a review of literature using Cooper’s (1988) framework was conducted. The
search engine of EBSCO HOST was searched with the following keywords: ‘computer
game barriers’, ‘computer game challenges’ and ‘educational computer games use’.
The results indicated a number of challenges in use of educational computer games in
school settings including
• Curriculum issues. One of the greatest challenges of using educational computer
games in schools is the alignment of the games with the school curriculum and
syllabus (Gros, 2003; Rosas et al, 2003; Squire et al, 2005). Using national standards
for developing the games was suggested as a method to address this issue (Lopez-
Moreto & Lopez, 2007).
• Time and purpose of a game implementation. Another barrier is the uncertainties of
teachers about the time and purpose of using educational computer games. Teachers
should be informed about (1) the time of using the game in the classrooms and (2) the
purpose of using the game (eg, teaching tool or supplemental tool to provide practice
opportunities for students) (Van Etten & Watson, 1976).
• Outcome issues. The third issue is the transfer of educational computer games’ learned
skills to the other contexts and real situations. Teachers’ uncertainties about such
knowledge transfer impede implementation and use of educational computer games
in the schools (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2005; Gros, 2003; Klawe & Phillips, 1995; Shaffer,
2006).
• Technical issues. The adaptation of the multimedia materials in schools with educa-
tional computer games is another barrier in using the games (Gros, 2003; Rosas et al,
2003).
As shown in Table 3, the comparison of the barriers of using computer games in
schools identified in the literature with the Dimenxian adoption factors identified in this
case study indicated that a number of Dimenxian adoption factors, including (1) game
learning objective alignment with state and national standards, (2) proof of effective-
ness of games and (3) time and technical compatibility, were in response to the barriers
in using educational computer games in schools. However, there were some other
adoption factors that were not related to any identified barriers. These adoption factors
included (1) game support features, (2) gender-neutral features, (3) engagement and
problem-solving instruction strategies, (4) a rich mathematical content, (5) an

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266 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010

Table 3: The relationship between Dimenxian adoption factors and the barriers in using educational
computer games in K-12 settings

Dimenxian key adoption factors identified in Barriers in using educational computer

this case study games identified in the literature

Alignment of game learning objective with Curriculum issues

state and national standards
Time compatibility Time and purpose of game implementation
Proof of effectiveness of games Outcome issues
Technology compatibility Technical issues
Recommended game features: game support
features; gender-neutral features;
engagement and problem-solving
instruction strategies; rich mathematical
content; attractive game context and
story; adjustment of game difficulties;
access to a trial version of the game

attractive game context and story, (6) the adjustment of the game difficulties and (7)
access to a trial version of the game. This comparison indicated that Dimenxian adop-
tion factors were broader than the barriers of using educational computer games.

Section IV: discussion and conclusions

This study was conducted to (1) identify the factors affecting the adoption of modern
educational computer games based on the Rogers’ (1962, 2003) diffusion of innova-
tion theory, (2) compare the adoption factors of the game Dimenxian with the adoption
factors of other educational software along with the diffusion of innovation attributes
and (3) identify the relationship between Dimenxian adoption factors and the barriers of
using the educational computer games identified in the literature.

The findings indicated the following key adoption factors of Dimenxian along with the
four of five attributes of the diffusion of innovation theory:
• Relative advantage, which consists of (1) the empirical indication of game effective-
ness, (2) game support features, (3) gender-neutral features and (4) engagement and
problem-solving instruction strategies.
• Compatibility, which consists of (1) the game alignment with the state and national
standards, (2) available time for playing the game, (3) available computers for playing
the game and (4) the teachers’ technology training.
• Complexity, which consists of (1) a rich mathematical content, (2) an attractive game
context and story and (3) the adjustment of the game difficulties.
• Trialability, which consists of accessing to a trial version of the game.
Adoption attributes for Dimenxian and other educational software such as instructional
strategies (Eads, 1984; Holloway, 1977; Surry & Farquhar, 1997; Wyner, 1974), email
(Shelley, 1998), web-based educational technology (Tetiwat & Huff, 2002) and the
Internet (Martins et al, 2004) have a similar pattern from high to low significance:

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 The factors affecting adoption of educational games: a Case Study 267

relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability. This similar

adoption pattern suggests that Dimenxian game designers, researchers and educators
may follow similar methods used by other educational software designers to expedite
the adoption of the games.

Some of Dimenxian adoption factors are in response to teachers’ challenges in the

integration of the computer games into their schools as identified in the literature
review. The game alignment with the state and national standards is related to the
curriculum challenges identified by a group of scholars (Gros, 2003; Rosas et al, 2003;
Squire et al, 2005). The time compatibility is related to the issue of game implementa-
tion time identified by Van Etten and Watson (1976). The empirical-based indication of
game effectiveness is related to the outcome issues identified by a number of researchers
(Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2005; Gros, 2003; Klawe & Phillips, 1995; Shaffer, 2006). Finally,
the technology compatibility is related to the technical barriers identified by another
group of authors (Gros, 2003; Rosas et al, 2003).

However, there are other adoption factors that are not related to the barriers of using
the computer games (see Table 3). These factors are: (1) game support features, (2)
gender-neutral features, (3) engagement and problem-solving instruction strategies,
(4) a rich mathematical content, (5) an attractive game context and story, (6) the
adjustment of the game difficulties and (7) access to a trial version of the game.

Such comparison indicates that Dimenxian adoption factors are broader than the bar-
riers of using the computer games identified in the literature. The Dimenxian game
designers, researchers and educators should address not only the barriers but also
additional adoption factors to advance the adoption of the games. These results benefit
both the educators and the designers of Dimenxian and other educational games in
identifying key factors that make modern educational games more adoptable by teach-
ers and educational organisations. In addition, this study helps guide future research
and practice on the adoption of modern educational computer games.

This study identified the adoption factors of Dimenxian based on the teachers’ perspec-
tives. Teachers are the main users of the games, while school principals and adminis-
trators are also involved in making decisions on the adoption of educational computer
games. Thus, further studies will be helpful to identify adoption factors of Dimenxian as
well as similar educational computer games based on the school principals and admin-
istrators’ perspectives.

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank Professor Atsusi Hirumi for providing insights in preparing this
study. I would also like to extend my thanks to the Dimenxian game company for pro-
viding an opportunity for me to use their game in this study.

References
Berger, J. I. (2005). Perceived consequences of adopting the internet into adult literacy and basic
education classrooms. Adult Basic Education, 15, 103–121.

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Appendix: The interview questions

Here’s the web site. Take as much time as you like to look it over. And make comments
out loud if you want to. Let me know when you’re ready to talk about the web site.

Questions about the game website:

1. Based on the review of the website, are you interested in using the game in your
classroom for teaching Algebra? Why?
2. What should be changed? What are the weaknesses of the materials in the web
site?
3. What are your suggestions for overcoming the weaknesses in the web site?
4. What are the strengths of the materials in the web site?
If participant does not want to look at the game go to question 9.

If participant wants to look at the game, show the game briefly. Then continue from question
5.

Questions about the Game:

5. Based on the review of the game, are you interested in using the game in your
classroom for teaching Algebra? why?
6. What should be changed? What are the weaknesses of the materials in the game?
7. What are your suggestions for overcoming the weaknesses in the game?
8. What are the strengths of the materials in the game?

Questions about the Adoption of Game:

9. What are your perceptions on the advantages/disadvantages of the game to be
used in the classroom?
(Explain if necessary: The degree that the game could provide competitive advan-
tages to adopters’ work. Example: It is convenient, It improves learning efficiency)
10. What are your perceptions on the compatibility of the game?
(Explain if necessary: The perception of the game as an innovation compatible
with the work of teachers. Examples: It is difficult to change to the game, can still
succeed without the game, do not need it in their teaching).
11. Would you like to start off playing with Dimenxian™ before adopting it?
(Explain if necessary: Trialability is the degree to which an innovation may be
experimented with on a limited basis before it can be adopted. Examples: To assess
the pros and cons of Dimenxian™ before risking investment, one cannot adopt
something one is not familiar with the way to be comfortable with a new toy is to
play with it).
12. What are your perceptions of Dimenxian™ with regards to the observability of
Dimenxian™?

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270 British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 41 No 2 2010

(Explain if necessary: Observability of an innovation deals with the degree to

which the results of an innovation are visible to potential adopters. Examples:
The visibility of the effectiveness of Dimenxian™ in other schools, peer opinion
as to the effectiveness of Dimenxian™, and previous positive experience with
Dimenxian™)
13. What are your perceptions on complexity of Dimenxian™?
(Explain if necessary: Complexity of an innovation is the degree to which an
innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use. Examples: Dimenxian™
is complicated to learn, Dimenxian™ is difficult to understand and use, afraid of
using Dimenxian™ and Dimenxian™ is confusing)

Questions about the Background of Participant:

14. How long have you been teaching Algebra or other mathematics subjects?
15. How old are you?
16. Are you interested in computer games?
17. Do you have any further comments and suggestions?

© 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Becta.

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