Exploring students’ learning and gaming performance as well as attention through a drill-based gaming experience for environmental education
Abstract
This study aims to empirically and qualitatively explore elementary-school students’ learning and gaming performance as well as attention in response to resource classification tasks in a drill-based educational game and to further explore patterns in their gaming performance and attention. A mixed-methods design was employed, and performance analysis, video analysis, quantitative content analysis, and cluster analysis were used to analyze the data. Results showed that these students achieved statistically significant learning gains on resource classification through the gaming experience and exhibited different qualities in their gaming achievement. In addition, the attention aspects in Keller’s ARCS model can be further classified into sub-categories and can enrich the qualitative features of the attention aspects from the drill-based educational game perspective. The group of students who performed most poorly and divided their attention across diverse gaming components should receive more guidance and assistance in developing strategies for staying focused. This study also proposes suggestions for future researchers, instructors, and game designers interested in game-based learning.
Keywords
Environmental education Interactive learning environments Media in education Attention Learning and gaming performanceNotes
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