Digital Games and Values Education in the Transmission of Morality through Codes

This study aims to critically evaluate the moral transmission potential of digital games within the context of values education and to analyze the pedagogical, cultural, and technological dynamics that influence this process within a holistic framework. As children and young people grow up immersed in digital culture, traditional methods of value transmission fall short in terms of both content and methodology. This necessitates a rethinking of values education in the digital age and increases its strategic importance in educational, ethical, and cultural contexts. A qualitative survey model was adopted within the scope of the research, and a multidimensional theoretical analysis was conducted in light of game-based learning theories, moral representation approaches, the digital media literacy framework, and current educational technology literature. Data were evaluated using systematic content analysis using internationally published academic articles, reports, and books. Specifically, the study explored how value transmission is possible in artificial intelligence and augmented reality-based game environments, under what conditions it becomes ineffective, and how it can be optimized. According to the study's key findings, when digital games are structured as experiential spaces that not only provide information but also enable moral decision-making, empathy, and the development of social responsibility, they can create a meaningful, lasting, and behavioral impact on value transfer. However, this impact depends not only on the content level but also on the presence of design elements such as the depth of the game's moral scenario, customization capabilities, emotional engagement, and the ability to convey ethical implications to the player. Otherwise, digital games lose their value-adding potential by becoming entertaining simulations detached from the pedagogical context. In this context, digital games should not be considered merely as auxiliary tools in the future of values education; they should be considered as multi-layered learning environments with the potential to evolve into a tool for pedagogical and cultural transformation.