Level Up Learning

Video games are much more than simple entertainment; they can be seen as bona fide works of contemporary literature — especially in French-language classes. That is the thesis of Amélie Vallières, a PhD candidate in education and lecturer in Université du Québec à Montréal’s Department of Language Didactics and School of Media. 

In her doctoral work, Ms. Vallières showed that this medium can support the development of reading, interpretation and prewriting skills just as effectively as novels, graphic novels and films. “My findings revealed that players can develop a variety of skills and ways of interpreting the world around them that are transferrable to the classroom,” she said. 

While the learning-related impacts of video games have been studied since the 2000s, Ms. Vallières breaks new ground with her detailed exploration of using contemporary story-driven games as literary works. 

“I focused on video games with rich and complex narratives that demanded critical interpretation and a level of understanding well beyond “Mario has to save the princess.” The works she analyzed included Nomada Studio’s Gris, a visually driven and poetic meditation on grief, and If Found… by Dreamfeel, an interactive tale that delves into questions of identity and memory. 

She argues that story-driven games stand out because the player’s choices often shape the plot, rather than simply racking up points or contributing to a competitive outcome. “By engaging students intellectually and emotionally while fostering critical thinking, these games give them an active role in the story.” This learning process is rooted in multimodal literacy — the combined analysis of text, imagery, music and player interaction — which helps students better grasp the concepts studied in the classroom. 

Ms. Vallières found that teenagers respond differently to the games. “Some connect with the artistic design and storytelling, while others are drawn to the gameplay.” She added that video games can engage students who respond poorly to traditional reading. 

While video games offer tremendous educational promise, Ms. Vallières notes that broader adoption remains limited by a lack of knowledge and technical know-how among parents and teachers. “I once had a teacher tell me that playing video games would lower my IQ, even though I was excelling at school,” she recalled. 

In Quebec, the video game industry receives significant public funding, including a recent $25.6 million economic development grant to Ubisoft (in French), but it continues to be categorized as a technology sector rather than a cultural one. “The industry has evolved more as a technological and economic enterprise than an artistic one,” Ms. Vallières said.  

Yet, gaming is the leading cultural activity of young Quebecers. According to Institut de la statistique du Québec data (in French), 81% of people aged 15 to 29 play video games, well ahead of more traditional forms of entertainment. 

A medium for building identity? 

Ms. Vallières believes that video games can contribute meaningfully to the development of identity, particularly among linguistic minorities. “The research makes clear that they can be powerful vehicles of identity. For many players, cultural belonging is forged through gaming. In Ontario, for instance, the scarcity of French-language games has led deeply rooted Francophones to spend so much time playing English titles that they develop a much more bilingual identity.” 

A University of Ottawa study published in 2021 supports Ms. Vallières’ view. It showed that Franco-Ontarians aged 18 to 22 strongly prefer gaming in English and are more likely to identify as “bilingual” rather than “Francophone.” 

Following her doctoral defence in fall 2026, Amélie Vallières aims to pursue postdoctoral research at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue.