Customization in educational computer games and its effect on learning: Experimental study with primary school children.

The instructional effects of customization features in child learning games have rarely been examined. This value‐added study addresses the existing gap with regards to user‐initiated cosmetic customization of environment elements (i.e., non‐avatar customization). Participants (N = 143; Mage = 9.41)...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 1370 - 1383
Autores principales: Javora, Ondřej, Děchtěrenko, Filip, Tetourová, Tereza, Volná, Kristina, Brom, Cyril
Formato: pictorial research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Oct2021
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=152209140&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 152209140
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02664909
        6M1
      jtl: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
      issn: 02664909
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Oct2021
      vid: 37
      iid: 5
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
    artinfo:
      ui:
        152209140
        151453210
        152209140
        152209140
        10.1111/jcal.12576
        152209140
      ppf: 1370
      ppct: 13
      formats:
      tig:
        atl: Customization in educational computer games and its effect on learning: Experimental study with primary school children.
      aug:
        au:
          Javora, Ondřej
          Děchtěrenko, Filip
          Tetourová, Tereza
          Volná, Kristina
          Brom, Cyril
        affil: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
      sug:
        subj:
          Computer-Assisted Instruction
          Video Games In Infancy and Childhood
          Learning Methods
          Students, Elementary
          Outcomes of Education
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Child
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Experimental Studies
          Learning Environment
          Czech Republic
          Television
          Internet
          Motivation
          T-Tests
          Random Assignment
          Descriptive Statistics
          Child: 6-12 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: The instructional effects of customization features in child learning games have rarely been examined. This value‐added study addresses the existing gap with regards to user‐initiated cosmetic customization of environment elements (i.e., non‐avatar customization). Participants (N = 143; Mage = 9.41) studied a biological topic for about 20 min: either using the experimental version of a learning game with customization features, or from a control version without them. Null results were found as concerns between‐group differences: both for motivation‐related variables and learning outcome measures. These findings indicate that user‐initiated cosmetic customization features can be omitted by game designers, especially in settings where children are assigned specific instructional materials from which to study. Lay Description: What is already known: User‐initiated cosmetic customization (the term user‐initiated is afterwards left out of the text for brevity) refers to making choices about a game's visual or audio attributes without directly affecting the content of gameplay itself.Studies with non‐child learners showed that a sub‐type of cosmetic customization referred to as avatar customization (i.e., customization of learners' game characters) can be potentially beneficial for learning.The instructional efficiency of other sub‐types of cosmetic customization (i.e., customization of other elements, such as environmental ones) in game‐based learning for children is less clear. What this paper adds: Children (Grades 3–4) prefer a game with a cosmetically customizable environment over its non‐customizable counterpart: but only when they can contrast these two versions (not when they cannot contrast them).Children enjoy learning and learn equally from customizable and non‐customizable games. Implications for practice: Game‐based learning with cosmetic customization features of game's environment can be used for learning without risk of harming learning outcomes.However, when children's autonomy in choosing instructional materials is restricted, there is little need to invest in the cosmetic customization of a game's environment elements.Cosmetic customization of a game's environment elements may play a more notable role when children are able to choose learning materials.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        pictorial
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N