COTS Computer based RPGs in Chinese Universities

: Assessing Their Role in Cultivating Intercultural Communicative Competence

Abstract

This study systematically examines the limitations and challenges in cultivating Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) within the undergraduate educational context in mainland China. It proposes the integration of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) games as an emerging didactic media to support the development of the cognitive, affective, and behavioural attributes of ICC, as articulated in Bennett’s framework. This approach seeks to address the constraints associated with the prevailing reliance on Byram’s ICC cultivation framework and on traditional pedagogical media in the Chinese context.
Adapting autoethnography and textual analysis, the study demonstrates the theoretical feasibility of COTS games in fostering affective engagement between learners and virtual representations of the target cultural communities, while also conveying both explicit and implicit aspects of the target culture through immersive virtual environments. Based on these findings, the study conceptualizes the Computer-Based Role-Playing Game (C-RPG) as a functional genre suited to the cultivation of ICC.
Through semi-structured interviews, the study further investigates the specific effects of applying COTS C-RPGs in simulated Chinese undergraduate classrooms settings on learners’ cognitive, affective, and behavioural attributes of ICC. The results indicate that, when carefully selected and adapted, COTS C-RPGs can serve as didactic media that combine interactivity, immersion, authenticity, and cost-effectiveness in ICC cultivation.
On this basis, the study proposes a screening framework to assist intercultural instructors in aligning COTS C-RPGs with tailored pedagogical objectives and learner needs. It also delineates the essential instructional roles teachers are expected undertake when employing such media in classroom practice. Ultimately, this research reaffirms the social functions of COTS games and provides valuable insights for game developers and practitioners seeking to embed more reflective content, particularly in contexts where opportunities for real-world intercultural engagement are limited.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2026
Original language	English (Ireland)
Sponsors	AHSS Faculty Board
Supervisor	Michaela Schrage Frueh (Supervisor)