A Study on the Influence of Recreational Activities Intervening in Natural Science Courses on Learning Motivation and Learning Outcomes—The Case of Tabletop Games

Abstract

This study explored the effects of the integration of tabletop games in natural science and environmental education courses on students’ learning motivation and learning effectiveness. Four tabletop games were designed and integrated in educational programs, and 100 fifth-grade students at an elementary school in Taiwan participated in the study. Participants were divided into experimental and control groups. The former received an instructional program with tabletop games; the latter was the original program. Both groups had received the instructions for the two units of the natural science course for eight weeks. Furthermore, participants’ academic performance results were collected to investigate the effects of tabletop games on their learning effectiveness. This study has shown that integration of tabletop game in the natural science course significantly improved students’ learning attention. While the academic performance of the experimental group improved, the standard deviation decreased. In addition, qualitative data indicated the high acceptability of tabletop games integration in courses. Tabletop games integration in courses might also enhance different learning motivational dimensions. The findings of the integration of tabletop games might be beneficial to educational curriculum-specific pedagogy.

Proposal for a Game Design Document model for creating educational games to teach computational thinking

“…They leverage gamification elements to engage learners actively and promote knowledge acquisition in a fun and interactive manner. Research has demonstrated that educational games can improve learning outcomes and increase student motivation [Lin et al 2023]. By creating an immersive and enjoyable learning environment, games can enhance students' retention of information and foster a positive attitude toward learning.…”