Does Motivation Enhance Knowledge Acquisition in Digital Game-Based and Multimedia Learning? A Review of Studies from One Lab

In the contexts of digital game-based and multimedia learning, little is known about the strengths of associations between positive affective-motivational factors elicited during a study session and the quality of knowledge acquisition. Here, we take a step forward in filling this gap by re-analyzing our 11 experiments carried out between 2009–2017, featuring digital games, a simulation, animations, or a computerized presentation (total N = 1,288; primarily Czech and Slovak high school and university learners). The correlational meta-analysis showed that the overall relationship between positive affective-motivational variables and learning outcomes was significant, but relatively weak. The weaker relationship was found for enjoyment and generalized positive affect compared to flow. The finding corroborates the idea that affective-motivational states may be differentially related to learning outcomes. Future research should investigate why some affective-motivational states seem to play relatively limited roles in learning from multimedia instructional materials.

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