research-article

Learning by Doing: Intrinsic Integration Directs Attention to Increase Learning In Games

Authors:

Ioanna IacovidesAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 6, Issue CHI PLAY

Article No.: 240, Pages 1 - 18

https://doi.org/10.1145/3549503

Published: 31 October 2022 Publication History

Abstract

Educational games have long been seen as having great potential, but evidence for their effectiveness is mixed, suggesting deficiencies in our theoretical understanding of learning in games and associated design principles. The principle of "Intrinsic integration" of learning content with game mechanics (Habgood and Ainsworth, 2011) increases learning in educational games, but the theoretical mechanisms behind the principle are unclear, leading to implementation issues. In response, we performed a pre-registered study (n=210) to test possible motivational, cognitive load or attentional mechanisms for moderating learning at an abstract learning task within an educational game similar to Pacman. Learning was higher in the intrinsically integrated version with no significant effects of motivation or cognitive load leading to the conclusion that intrinsic integration increased learning via an attentional mechanism where players only pay attention to features needed for the game task and ignore task-irrelevant information. We discuss theoretical implications for game learning as well as insights for designers of educational games.

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ExperimentVideo.mp4 - Video showing the experimental game as experienced by participants ExperimentData.xlsx - All data collected from the study before analysis

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Cited By

Fornós SBeier S(2024)A Game Design Approach to Failure to Enhance Learning GamesCompanion Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play10.1145/3665463.3678797(78-84)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3665463.3678797
Maram SKleinman EVillareale JZhu JSeif El-Nasr M(2024)"Ah! I see" - Facilitating Process Reflection in Gameplay through a Novel Spatio-Temporal Visualization SystemProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642484(1-19)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642484
García-Gámez AMacizo P(2023)Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign LanguageBrain Sciences10.3390/brainsci1312171213:12(1712)Online publication date: 12-Dec-2023
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121712
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Learning by Doing: Intrinsic Integration Directs Attention to Increase Learning In Games
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Interaction design
    1. Empirical studies in interaction design

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 6, Issue CHI PLAY

CHI PLAY

October 2022

986 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3570219

Editor:
Jeff Nichols
Apple Inc., United States

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Copyright © 2022 Owner/Author.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

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Published: 31 October 2022

Published in PACMHCI Volume 6, Issue CHI PLAY

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Cited By

Fornós SBeier S(2024)A Game Design Approach to Failure to Enhance Learning GamesCompanion Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play10.1145/3665463.3678797(78-84)Online publication date: 14-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3665463.3678797
Maram SKleinman EVillareale JZhu JSeif El-Nasr M(2024)"Ah! I see" - Facilitating Process Reflection in Gameplay through a Novel Spatio-Temporal Visualization SystemProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642484(1-19)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642484
García-Gámez AMacizo P(2023)Gestures as Scaffolding to Learn Vocabulary in a Foreign LanguageBrain Sciences10.3390/brainsci1312171213:12(1712)Online publication date: 12-Dec-2023
https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121712
De Nicolò MKanatschnig THons MWood GKiili KMoeller KGreipl SNinaus MKober S(2023)Engaging learners with games–Insights from functional near-infrared spectroscopyPLOS ONE10.1371/journal.pone.028645018:6(e0286450)Online publication date: 6-Jun-2023
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286450

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