Is It Better to Provide Embedded Learning Supports in Educational Games Before or After Attempting Game Levels?

• In Event: Games, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Environments for Cognition and Learning

Abstract

We investigated the effects of in-game learning supports’ timing in a game called Physics Playground where we randomly assigned 149 students (Mage = 14, SD = .96) to receive learning supports either Before (n = 50) or After (n = 46) playing game levels—a no-support Control (n = 53) condition was included. We found that students assigned to the two treatment conditions visited fewer game levels, but spent more time per level, and reported lower frustration levels than those assigned to the Control condition. Although students in the After condition had lower in-game performance measures than those in the Control condition, they achieved higher near- and far-transfer scores on the posttest after controlling for gameplay success and pretest scores.

Authors

• Seyedahmad Rahimi, University of Florida
  Presenting Author

• Valerie J. Shute, Florida State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sidney K. D'Mello, University of Colorado - Boulder
  Non-Presenting Author