Impact of Pupil Self-Direction on Knowledge Acquisition, Emotions, and Decision-Making Strategy within a Digital Game-Learning Setting
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Game-based learning environments, designed to boost student engagement and motivation during complex topic learning, have become increasingly popular in education. A recent study focused on a game-based learning environment for microbiology sheds light on the optimal level of student agency for improved learning outcomes, problem-solving, and affect.
According to the research, student agency—allowing learners to affect gameplay, make decisions, and take control of their learning—is positively linked to engagement, self-awareness, and critical thinking skills. This is particularly true when games are tailored to appropriate difficulty levels and provide clear instructions. Excessive agency without sufficient guidance can lead to frustration or boredom, especially in younger students or those less familiar with the content.
The presence of immediate, personalized feedback integrated into gameplay significantly supports learning and motivation by turning errors into learning opportunities, sustaining problem-solving capabilities, and maintaining a positive affect. This indicates that agency is optimal when paired with timely, adaptive feedback systems.
Human interaction and social elements, facilitated either in-game or alongside technology, enhance affective outcomes and problem-solving skills by promoting collaboration and authentic communication rather than relying solely on technology or game mechanics.
The study found that a moderate degree of agency provided to students leads to better learning outcomes without sacrificing interest or causing a negative emotional experience. Even low levels of agency can positively impact learning, problem solving, and affect during game-based learning.
Students in the Low Agency condition achieved higher normalized learning gain scores than the No Agency condition, and marginally higher scores than the High Agency condition. The No Agency condition, on the other hand, indicated a less cognitively stimulating experience compared to the other agency conditions. Students in the No Agency condition were less interested and perceived themselves as less present in the virtual environment.
In conclusion, the optimal student agency in game-based learning environments enables students to make meaningful decisions related to content and strategies. It provides adaptive difficulty and clear instructions to avoid cognitive overload, offers immediate, personalized feedback to guide learning and maintain motivation, incorporates social and human interaction elements to support emotional and problem-solving development, and is carefully calibrated to learners’ developmental levels and instructional goals rather than maximal freedom. This balanced agency supports enhanced learning outcomes, problem-solving skills, and positive affect within game-based environments.
Technology and education-and-self-development can greatly benefit from the use of gadgets in game-based learning environments. For instance, tablets or computers equipped with educational games can provide learners with opportunities to practice critical thinking skills, improve self-awareness, and engage with complex topics like microbiology. These gadgets, when used effectively in game-based learning, can foster a balanced level of student agency, supporting enhanced learning outcomes, problem-solving, and positive affect.
