Investigating Flow Experience and Scientific Practices During a Mobile Serious Educational Game

Mobile serious educational games (SEGs) show promise for promoting scientific practices and high engagement. Researchers have quantified this engagement according to flow theory. This study investigated whether a mobile SEG promotes flow experience and scientific practices with eighth-grade urban students. Students playing the game (n = 59) were compared with students in a business-as-usual control activity (n = 120). In both scenarios, students worked in small teams. Data measures included an open-ended instrument designed to measure scientific practices, a self-report flow survey, and classroom observations. The game players had significantly higher levels of flow and scientific practices compared to the control group. Observations revealed that game teams received less whole-class instruction and review compared to the control teams. Game teachers had primarily a guide-on-the-side role when facilitating the game, while control teachers predominantly used didactic instruction when facilitating the control activity. Implications for these findings are discussed.

[1]  M. Csíkszentmihályi.  Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life , 1997 .

[2]  Lucy Avraamidou,et al.  The use of augmented reality games in education: a review of the literature , 2015 .

[3]  Mariano Alcañiz Raya,et al.  Learning in serious virtual worlds: Evaluation of learning effectiveness and appeal to students in the E-Junior project , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[4]  William L. Romine,et al.  Game-Based Curricula in Biology Classes: Differential Effects among Varying Academic Levels , 2013 .

[5]  Chris Dede,et al.  Games and Immersive Participatory Simulations for Science Education: An Emerging Type of Curricula , 2007 .

[6]  Kurt Squire,et al.  Mad City Mystery: Developing Scientific Argumentation Skills with a Place-based Augmented Reality Game on Handheld Computers , 2007 .

[7]  Chin-Chung Tsai,et al.  Affordances of Augmented Reality in Science Learning: Suggestions for Future Research , 2012, Journal of Science Education and Technology.

[8]  Jodi Asbell-Clarke,et al.  Challenging games help students learn: An empirical study on engagement, flow and immersion in game-based learning , 2016, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[9]  Wen-Hao Huang,et al.  Evaluating learners' motivational and cognitive processing in an online game-based learning environment , 2011, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[10]  M. Csíkszentmihályi.  Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention , 1996 .

[11]  Alec M. Bodzin,et al.  A mixed methods assessment of students' flow experiences during a mobile augmented reality science game , 2013, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[12]  Ngss Lead States.  Next generation science standards : for states, by states , 2013 .

[13]  Marcia C. Linn,et al.  Validating Measurement of Knowledge Integration in Science Using Multiple-Choice and Explanation Items , 2011 .

[14]  M. Csíkszentmihályi,et al.  Talented Teenagers: The Roots of Success and Failure , 1993 .

[15]  Thomas W. Malone,et al.  Toward a Theory of Intrinsically Motivating Instruction , 1981, Cogn. Sci..

[16]  Mark D. Griffiths,et al.  Experiences of Time Loss among Videogame Players: An Empirical Study , 2007, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[17]  M. Honey,et al.  Learning Science through Computer Games and Simulations. , 2011 .

[18]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[19]  Brian C. Nelson,et al.  A multi-user virtual environment for building and assessing higher order inquiry skills in science , 2010, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[20]  James Minogue,et al.  Investigating the impact of video games on high school students' engagement and learning about genetics , 2009, Comput. Educ..

[21]  Angeline Khoo,et al.  Passion and Intrinsic Motivation in Digital Gaming , 2008, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[22]  Vivian Hsueh-hua Chen,et al.  Ubiquitous games for learning (UbiqGames): Weatherlings, a worked example , 2012, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[23]  Wolmet Barendregt,et al.  The influence of the level of free-choice learning activities on the use of an educational computer game , 2011, Comput. Educ..

[24]  David S. Kirk,et al.  Savannah: mobile gaming and learning? , 2004, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[25]  Sean C. Duncan,et al.  Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds , 2008 .

[26]  Brian J. Reiser,et al.  Engaging Students in the Scientific Practices of Explanation and Argumentation: Understanding a Framework for K-12 Science Education , 2012 .

[27]  Leonard A. Annetta,et al.  Serious Games: Incorporating Video Games in the Classroom. , 2006 .

[28]  Robert L. Goldstone,et al.  Transformational Play as a Curricular Scaffold: Using Videogames to Support Science Education , 2009 .

[29]  Susan M. Land,et al.  Argumentation and Student-Centered Learning Environments , 2012 .

[30]  David Kirk,et al.  Savannah: experiential learning through mobile gaming , 2004 .

[31]  Ioana A. Stanescu,et al.  Framing the Adoption of Serious Games in Formal Education , 2012 .

[32]  Elizabeth Eason Folta.  Investigating the Impact on Student Learning and Outdoor Science Interest through Modular Serious Educational Games: A Design-Based Research Study , 2010 .

[33]  Anton Gustafsson,et al.  Evaluation of a pervasive game for domestic energy engagement among teenagers , 2008, ACE '08.

[34]  David C. Dwyer,et al.  Education and technology : reflections on computing in classrooms , 1996 .

[35]  J. Gee,et al.  How Computer Games Help Children Learn , 2006 .

[36]  Brian C. Nelson,et al.  Scientific Inquiry in Educational Multi-user Virtual Environments , 2007 .

[37]  Jerry Heneghan,et al.  Serious Educational Games: From Theory to Practice , 2008 .

[38]  Chris Dede,et al.  Immersive Interfaces for Engagement and Learning , 2009, Science.

[39]  Jim Hewitt,et al.  Martian Boneyards: Scientific Inquiry in an MMO Game , 2012, Int. J. Game Based Learn..

[40]  Michael F. Young,et al.  Our Princess Is in Another Castle , 2012 .

[41]  Helen R. Quinn,et al.  A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas , 2013 .

[42]  Chris Dede,et al.  Affordances and Limitations of Immersive Participatory Augmented Reality Simulations for Teaching and Learning , 2009 .

[43]  J. Dewey,et al.  How We Think , 2009 .