DESIGNS FOR LEARNING WITH NARRATIVE DIGITAL GAMES IN FORMAL EFL EDUCATION - Negotiating Material-Discursive Frames at the Nexus of Culture, Text and Task

Aug 23, 2026

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The dissertation investigates how narrative digital games can be designed for and interpreted within formal secondary EFL education, focusing on the negotiation of material-discursive frames. It addresses the tension between promised educational benefits and real classroom practices of vernacular digital games, drawing on a sociomaterial paradigm for understanding digital engagement. The work situates key terminology within digital game-based language learning and the German secondary school context, and develops theoretical and curricular considerations for teaching and learning with game media.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages319

Reading Time13 h 24 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgements

List of Tables

List of Figures

List of Abbreviations

Abstract

Introduction

‘Confronting the Singing Machines’: Narrative digital games in formal secondary EFL education

Part I Negotiating the material-discursive landscape of narrative digital games in formal secondary EFL education

Cutting through the noise: The promise and problem of vernacular digital games in educational discourse and practice

Assembling available designs for teaching and learning with narrative digital games

Conclusion

DESIGNS FOR LEARNING WITH NARRATIVE DIGITAL GAMES IN FORMAL EFL EDUCATION Negotiating Material-Discursive Frames at the Nexus of Culture, Text and Task Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Philosophie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München vorgelegt von Michelle Lynne Stannard aus St. Albert, Kanada München, Oktober 2025 2 Referentin: Prof. Dr. Christiane Lütge 1. Koreferent: Prof. Dr. Thorsten Merse Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 27. Mai 2024 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly, to my parents and grandparents, who have supported me at various times with encouragement, freedom, and means to do my own thing – even when this took me away from home. Secondly, to Nina and Christoph, whose support during a critical period got me ‘back to school’ and onto the path that eventually led to this dissertation project. To the many friends who have been our family both in Munich and abroad – you know who you are. To my husband, Servando, who has been an incredible source of support and who has kept the family afloat while I completed this work (Also, thank you for keeping me stocked up on retro games) . To our sons, Theodore (who helped delay the submission of this project) and Isidro (who helped delay the publication of this project)– you are both the best kind of delay, and I so look forward to playing many of these games with you someday. If the adage is true that we teach the way we were taught, then I am especially fortunate. A big thank you to my high school educators – especially Joseph Granzow, Susan Rahim, Grant Venables and Mark Weber – whose influence has been formative of my own teaching approach and research priorities. You have been role models in my striving to be critical, curious, pragmatic, and kind. To my doctoral brothers and sisters, office mates and colleagues who have accompanied me through different phases of this project, including Yasemin Erdemgil, Katharina Flieger, Daniela Fulde, Dr. Stefanie Fricke, Meral Roeben, Sandra Schäfer, Patrick Sowa, Dr. Isabelle Thaler, Dr. Max von Blanckenburg and Dr. Xiao Zhang. A special thank you to Dr. Stefanie Fuchs, Dr. Sakina Gröppmaier, Anna LeFevre, Dr. Claudia Mustroph, Dr. Petra Rauschert, and Dr. Anni Schwalb, who have generously and repeatedly offered encouragement, an open ear or a critical eye when needed. To my second examiner and former doctoral sibling, Prof. Dr. Thorsten Merse, who has been a consistent source of support in my pursuit of theoretical and conceptual research. And, finally, to my advisor, Prof. Dr. Christiane Lütge: I have never underestimated the great privilege it is to pursue research that aligns with one’s passions and to have these pursuits so thoroughly supported. Thank you for all the opportunities you have afforded me and for pushing me to put faith in my work. Munich, 08.08.2025 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ____________________________________________________________ 7 List of Figures ____________________________________________________________ 8 List of Abbreviations __________________________________________________________ 9 Abstract ___________________________________________________________ 10 Introduction ‘Confronting the Singing Machines’: Narrative digital games in formal secondary EFL education _ 11 Part I Negotiating the material-discursive landscape of narrative digital games in formal secondary EFL education ___________________________________________________________ 15 1. Cutting through the noise: The promise and problem of vernacular digital games in educational discourse and practice____________________________________________ 15 1.1. Vernacular digital games in EFL education between promise and practice_________________ 15 1.1.1. Established hypotheses on the gap between promise and practice ____________________ 17 1.1.2. Renegotiating the gap between promise and practice______________________________ 21 1.2. A sociomaterial paradigm for theoreti

FAQs

What central topic does the dissertation address?

It examines how narrative digital games can support learning in formal secondary EFL education by analyzing the negotiation of material-discursive frames across culture, text, and tasks.

How does the dissertation treat the gap between educational promises and classroom practice?

It critically reviews established hypotheses about the gap and then outlines ways of renegotiating that gap in relation to vernacular digital games used in educational discourse and practice.

What theoretical lens guides the study of digital engagement in language education?

The work applies a sociomaterial paradigm to theoretical research on games-based learning and digital engagement in TEFL.

Aug 23, 2026

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