Engagement and learning in Game-Based Learning

(GBL): A Systematic Review

Ms Azita Iliya Abdul JabbarDr Patrick Felicia

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Objectives of the presentation

To present:

The review’s methodology (search terms, limits, inclusion/exclusion criteria/evaluation criteria)

The analysis (game variations, gaming elements, learning outcomes)

The results (of 38 papers)

The conclusion

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Rationale of the study

Games can be effective for educational purposes because they offer enjoyable experiences and motivation.

Games have been successfully employed as a means to engage learners in several educational settings (primary, secondary and higher education).

There is a need for an empirically-based and better “understanding of learners’ engagement with games in order to fully appreciate the implications of adopting a game-based approach” (Whitton, 2011).

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Research backgroundEnjoyme

nt

Motivation

(Boyle et al., 2012)4

Engagement with games for entertainment

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Engagement in gameplay

Research backgroundUser engagement with games for

entertainment

(Boyle et al., 2012)

An experience that is both emotional and physical in nature, and demonstrated in players’ feelings and thoughts as well as behaviour (Jennets et al, 2008, Ravaja, et al., 2008)

Not just a feeling, thought or behaviour that happens, but also on how players interpret it (Ravaja et al., 2005).

The result of many subjective feelings that shape experience, within sequence of gaming events, not necessarily pleasant during the event (Klimmt, Rizzo, Vorderer, Koch and Ficher, 2009) and each having impact on player’s feeling and thought (Jennets et al., 2008, Ryan et al., 2009).

The emotional attachment players have to the gaming features and interaction they have with the gaming activities to achieve their goals in the process (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, van Reekum et al., 2004).

Students’ performance

Research backgroundLearning outcomes and impacts of

gameplay

Research has shown mixed results of students performance for knowledge acquisition/content understanding though students preferred using games and enjoy using it.

Competitive-based game along with feedback lead to improved performance in knowledge acquisition.

Students performed better when they could use a history mechanism to help them remember events in a complex project management game.

Increased self-efficacy in simulation games, and collaboration in virtual 3D online serious game and structured support can be used to prompt players for advancement.

(Connolly et al., 2012)6

Research background Limitations of previous

reviews Lack of acknowledgement of how gaming principles of engagement enable learning

Lack of guidance about how gaming elements of can support engagement and learning in different phases of learning and ways

Lack of understanding how gaming elements might facilitate engagement and match desired learning outcomes in a learning process.

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Objective of the study To understand how schoolchildren learn

To understand how gaming elements engage learners and enable learning

How are user engagement and gameplay experience linked to the learning outcomes?

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Methodology: Search terms

Games (General terms: e.g.: edutainment, game-based learning; learning

games; Variations of games: e.g.: role-play game, puzzle; Platform: e.g.: video, computer)

Outcomes and impacts (e.g.: effect, engagement, motivation, learning)

Factors and link (e.g.: relations, elements, characters, attributes)

Criterion, justification and context (e.g.: evidence, data, school)

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Methodology: Searched electronic databases

IEEE Xplore Digital Library10

Methodology: Search limit Broad search limit

Specific search limit

Met

hodo

logy

Participants

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Methodology: Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Study design

Participants’ age group

use of games/design purpose

Learning and motivational outcomes in relations to gaming for learning

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Methodology: Criteria for evaluation Experimental study Observational study Descriptive study Correlational study Mixed-methods

study

Participants selection Settings and condition Number of participants

Random assignment of groups

Control group design Pretest and posttest No comparisons are made

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Analysis of the study

Categorization of games

Type

Genre

Platform

Technical features

Game learning content

Game purpose

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Artificial world created for

entertainment

Additional varieties

embedded in the game world to create specific

experience

Analysis of the study

Categorization of engagement

Motivational Elements (ME)

Interactive Elements (IE)

Fun Elements (FE)

Multimedia Elements (MME)

Formal elementsFormal

elementsDramatic elements

Influence players’ thoughts, actions, and reactions (e.g.: objectives, choices, rules)

Provide players the opportunities with participation and involvement in gaming activities (e.g.: competition, collaboration)

Trigger players’ sense of enjoyment and

excitement (e.g.: challenge, narration)

Attract players’ physical attention (e.g.: animation, graphics, video, texts, audios) 15

Analysis of the studyCategorization of learning experience and outcomes

Intellectual aspects of

learning and skills or abilities

performed by learners

Behavioural change and motivational aspect of learning

(Adapted from Silver and Perini (2010), and Kolb’s (1984), Connolly et al.2012 )

Knowledge acquisition

 

Content understandin

g

 

Skills acquisition

Motivational outcome (e.g.: willingness to

learn)

Behaviour change

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Analysis of the studyCoding of methods

Random Controlled Trials (RCT)

Quasi-experiment

Cohort study Case control

study Comparative

case study Case series Survey

Short term Long term

Size of samples (small, medium, large)

Surveys Interviews Observation Mixed-

methods

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Results of the study

Database searched Number of

papers identifie

d in search

Number of

papers meeting inclusio

n criteria

Number of papers extracted

Number of

articles for

review

Not meeting inclusion criteria

Duplicate

1 ERIC 12 5 7 0 52 Academic Search Complete 18 10 8 8 23 PsycINFO 20 4 16 4 04 ISI Web of Knowledge 11 3 8 1 2 5 Wiley Online Library 249 9 240 - 9 6 JSTOR 48 3 45 - 3 7 Emerald journals 343 3 340 - 38 Science Direct 1, 241 41 1186 3 389 ACM Digital Library 268 12 256 7 510

IEEE Xplore Digital Library 964 33 931 - 33

Total 3174 123 3037 23 100

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Search result

Results(Based on 17 papers of IEEE Xplore Digital Library on role play-based

games)Game type: Role-play based game

Gaming elements Criteria that facilitate engagement

Learning and motivational impacts and

outcome

Storyline/narration (FE) • Arouse curiosity (EE) • Motivated to explore• Motivated to complete more

missions

Credit points (reward structure)- (ME)•Individual•Group

• Support advancement (CE)

• Sense of competition (against others/other team) – (CE)

• Building confidence • Motivated to complete

mission (for points)• Solving problem• Complete mission

3D virtual reality (VR) environment/GUI (FE & MME)

• Active exploration of content (CE)

• Sense of virtual presence (EE)

• Increases in content knowledge

• Higher virtual presence• Higher cognitive load

3D character (people/pet) – (FE)

Support advancement - (provide advice and guidance) – (CE)

• Wanting to play more

Quests (IE/FE) Not discussed Not discussed 19

Results(of17 papers of Science Direct database on role-play based games)

Game type: Role-play based game

Gaming elements Criteria that facilitate engagement

Learning and motivational impacts

and outcome

Multiple built-in objects (IE /FE)

Provide a high level of flow (Experience ‘control, immediacy of communication, consistency, persistency)

High level of flow Enhanced self- efficacy of

using computers to learn

Multi-player option (IE)CompetitionTeam-based

• Provide sense of competition

• Collaborative learning• Completion of learning

tasks

• Confidence in peer learning/team-based/collaborative learnin

Multiple learning environment in game (IE)

Observation Significant gain in content knowledge

Multiple contexts and situation/location

Not discussed Not discussed

Multiple-media (game, portal, email ) –(IE)

Provide flow in learning Not discussed

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Summary of results

Most motivational outcomes are unintended, but fun and motivational elements in games create the experience which trigger emotions as a point of engagement and engagement to learning.

Both formal and dramatic elements are integrated in role-play based games to create a cohesive learning environment for engaged learning.

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Summary of results

Fun elements such as narration in game design create motivational effect for motivational outcome

Motivational elements elements such as credit points provide motivational effect to learners for them to achieve the desired learning outcome.

Interactive elements elements such as multiple objects, environment, player mode and media provide learners with opportunity to become engaged learners (getting involved and participate in gaming and learning events)

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Summary of results

 

Knowledge acquisition

Content understanding

Motivated to explore

Motivated to complete mission

Confidence

Wanting to learn more

Skills acquisition and knowledge application

Storyline/narration

3D VR environmen

t

Credit points

Multiple built-in objects

Multiple-player option

Multiple learning

environment

Multiple media Character

Quests

Explo

ring o

f conte

nt m

ore

deeply

and m

aste

ring o

f esse

ntia

l skills an

d

kno

wle

dg

e

Applying learning strategies, knowledge or skills through activities or tasks

Hooked to learning by different reasons

Pers

onaliz

ing

what

has

been learn

ed

and

experi

ence

d

Making sense of content

Cognition Emotio

n 

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Conclusion

Games provides opportunities for players to have something to gain from the gameplay.

Games helps the learners acquire and develop skills and knowledge to keep playing, strengthening the ability to handle the experiences the games direct.

Most research did not discuss in details how some elements in these role-play based games facilitate engagement and learning.

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Q & A

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Thank youazitailiya@yahoo.co

m

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1. Game world Description Subcategories

1.1 Game type Description of the gameplay

puzzle, simulation, action (fighting, shooting, racing, driving, sports), adventure, strategy, role-playing game (RPG), logical, first shooting game (FSG) 

1.2 Game

genre

Description of the narrative content of the game

drama, mystery, crime, fantasy, horror, mystery, science fiction 

1.3 Game

platform

Medium or methods of delivery

computer, video, online/web-based, networked, mobile, board and card (non-digital), augmented reality, virtual reality (VR), second life, 2D/3D, hypertexts, console/handheld, multiple-mouse 

1.4 Game technical features

Gameplay modes, approaches and strategies that encompasses some gaming elements or mixture of concepts, methods, techniques and platforms.

single/multi-player, linear/non-linear synchronous, sequential, gamification, persuasive, pervasive, (ARG) alternate reality game, immersive, collaborative, competitive, context-aware learning  

Categorization of gameAppendix

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2. Game event Description Subcategories

2.1 Game learning content

Subject or content areas or skills

Mathematics, Languages, Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry) Social Science (Geography, History, Economy), general knowledge and public awareness (health, poverty)

2.2 Game purpose Learning experience 

Knowledge acquisition and content understanding, skills acquisition 

Categorization of gameAppendix

AppendixCategorization of engagement

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