In conventional digital game-based learning, geographic maps are generally used to provide students with the whole picture of the gaming contexts, while the concepts to be learned are separately presented as individual gaming objects. Scholars have indicated the problems of such a gaming content design, in which students could encounter…

Educational games are becoming increasingly prevalent. Recently, adaptive game-based learning to accommodate diverse learners has received considerable attention. The current study aims to explore the effect of adaptive scaffolding from a multidimensional engagement perspective. A total of 61 students from a Taiwan secondary school studied…

The current study investigated students' gameplay behavioral patterns as a function of in-game learning supports delivery timing when played a computer-based physics game. Our sample included 134 secondary students (M = 14.40, SD = .90) from all over the United States, who were randomly assigned into three conditions: receiving instructional…

Many studies have incorporated concept maps into digital games to enable learners to make connections between subject concepts in the game. However, most learners do not associate spontaneously with the thematic concepts in the game but need to be facilitated by effective scaffolding mechanisms to reconceptualize the learning process and content.…

The effectiveness of digital game-based language learning (DGBLL) has been recognized by scholars. With the development of computer technology and multimedia learning environments, computer agents have been widely used in game systems to provide learning guidance or assistance. A computer agent is a virtual character created in a digital learning…

In-game learning supports aim to help students solve game levels (i.e., game-related supports), and connect to underlying content (i.e., content-related and hybrid supports). Students with different levels of prior knowledge may have different needs for in-game supports. In this study, we designed a 2D physics game with game-related,…

Games can be rich environments for learning and can elicit evidence of students' conceptual understanding and inquiry processes. Illuminating students' content-specific gameplay decisions, or methods of completing game tasks related to a certain domain, requires a context that is open-ended enough for students to make choices that demonstrate…

In a game-based learning (GBL) environment for seventh-grade students, this study investigated the impact of competition, engagement in games, and the relationship between the two on students' in-game performance and flow experience, which, in turn, impacted their science learning outcomes. Structural equation modeling was employed to test a…

Secondary science students still struggle to master scientific concepts and apply content-based knowledge. The instructional design behind the incorporation of innovative technology and the use of game-based learning (GBL) could be a key to increasing student acquisition of science knowledge. Using a mixed methods design, this study examined the…

Computational thinking is acknowledged as an essential competency for everyone to learn. However, teachers find it challenging to implement the existing learning approaches in K-12 settings because the existing approaches often focus on teaching computing concepts and skills (i.e., programming skills) rather than on helping students develop their…

Digital game-based learning (DGBL) is known to be widely used for improving learning in various fields. Among the elements of DGBL, competition has been very controversial. This meta-analysis, which included 25 articles written between 2008 and 2019, revealed that DGBL has produced improvements for learning outcomes with an overall effect size of…

Over three years, our research team has designed various learning supports for promoting content knowledge and solving game levels. In this case study, we examined the optimal design and the evaluation of learning support videos for a physics educational game. Often studies focus on investigating the effects of research-based principles without a…

This study aims to extend the learning advantages of game-based learning from formal education to informal learning, and to develop a role-playing game (RPG) to help students familiarize themselves with a new school. Several game elements and principles were considered during the design stage, and the tasks were embedded into a macro-context to…

This mixed methods study is aimed to examine the feasibility of integrating mathematical problem solving with architectural design via a 3D epistemic simulation game to promote active mathematics learning for middle-school students. The experimental-control pretest/posttest group design was adopted to examine whether the experience of interacting…