{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,16]],"date-time":"2026-04-16T16:55:02Z","timestamp":1776358502225,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]],"date-time":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1624838400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Informatics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>With the universal use of mobile computing devices, there has been a notable increase in the number of mobile applications developed for educational purposes. Gamification strategies offer a new set of tools to educators and, combined with the location services provided by those devices, allow the creation of innovative location-based mobile learning experiences. In this literature review, we conduct an analysis of educational mobile location-based games. The review includes articles published from January of 2010 to October of 2020, and from 127 records screened, 26 articles were analysed in full-text form. This analysis allowed us to answer the following six predefined research questions: Who are the target audiences for location-based games? In which subjects are location-based games most used? Which strategies are implemented with mobile devices to improve the student\u2019s learning process? What are the main impacts of location-based games on students\u2019 learning? What are the main challenges to the development of location-based games for education? What future tendencies and research opportunities can be identified from the analysis of the current state of the art?<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/informatics8030043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]],"date-time":"2021-06-28T13:39:22Z","timestamp":1624887562000},"page":"43","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["Literature Review of Location-Based Mobile Games in Education: Challenges, Impacts and Opportunities"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1225-3844","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando Reinaldo","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"R&D Unit in Digital Services, Applications and Content, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0620-7518","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Arlindo","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R&D Unit in Digital Services, Applications and Content, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Paula","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R&D Unit in Digital Services, Applications and Content, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7327-2109","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Metr\u00f4lho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"R&D Unit in Digital Services, Applications and Content, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, 6000-767 Castelo Branco, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.1504\/IJMLO.2019.096468","article-title":"Trends in Digital Game-Based Learning in the Mobile Era: A Systematic Review of Journal Publications from 2007 to 2016","volume":"13","author":"Chang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int. 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Environ."}],"container-title":["Informatics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9709\/8\/3\/43\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:25:45Z","timestamp":1760163945000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9709\/8\/3\/43"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9]]}},"alternative-id":["informatics8030043"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/informatics8030043","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9709"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-9709","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,28]]}}}