Learning and Motivational Impact of Game-Based Learning: Comparing Face-to-Face and Online Formats on Computer Science Education

Abstract

Contribution: This article analyzes learning and motivational impact of teacher-authored educational video games on computer science education and compares its effectiveness in both face-toface and online (remote) formats. This work presents comparative data and findings obtained from 217 students who played the game in a face-to-face format (control group) and 104 students who played the game in an online format (experimental group). Background: Serious video games have been proven effective at computer science education, however it is still unknown whether the effectiveness of these games is the same regardless of their format, face-to-face or online. Moreover, the usage of games created through authoring tools has barely been explored. Research questions: Are teacher-authored educational video games effective in terms of learning and motivation for computer science students? Does the effectiveness of teacher-authored educational video games depend on whether they are used in a face-to-face or online format? Methodology: A quasi-experiment has been conducted by using three instruments (pre-test, post-test and questionnaire) with the purpose of comparing the effectiveness of Game-Based Learning in face-to-face and online formats. A total of 321 computer science students played a teacher-authored educational video game aimed to learn about software design. Findings:The results reveal that teacher-authored educational video games are highly effective in terms of knowledge acquisition and motivation both in face-to-face and online formats. The results also show that some students' perceptions were more positive when a face-to-face format was used.

Eğitsel Dijital Matematik Oyunları ve Beyin Sinyalleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi

“…[37] [48]. [49], dijital oyunların öğrenenler için ilgi çekici ve motive edici olduğunu saptamıştır. [50], yaptığı çalışmada, dijital oyunların matematik öğrenmeye yönelik tutumlar üzerindeki etkisini arttırdığını göstermiştir.…”