Effects of an instructional gaming characteristic on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement: using a storyline for teaching basic statistical skills

Abstract

The study explored instructional benefits of a storyline gaming characteristic (GC) on learning effectiveness, efficiency, and engagement with the use of an online instructional simulation for graduate students in an introductory statistics course. A storyline is a game-design element that connects scenes with the educational content. In order to examine the interactions between the storyline GC and human performance, a storyline was embedded in a simulation. The goal of the simulation was to engage students in problem-solving and data analysis in the context of basic statistics by using real-world examples. The authors developed two different versions of the simulation: (1) Simulation+No GC, and (2) Simulation+Storyline GC. Both versions shared the same instructional content but differed in the presence or absence of a storyline GC. The results indicated that adding a storyline to a simulation did not result in significant improvements in learning effectiveness, efficiency, or engagement. However, both instructional methods (simulation and simulation with a storyline) showed significant learning gains from pre- to post-test. The findings of this study offer future directions for embedding a storyline GC into learning content.

Keywords:

• gaming characteristics
• storyline
• simulations
• games
• statistics education

Notes on contributors

Elena Novak is an assistant professor in Instructional Design at Western Kentucky University. Her primary research interests focus on instructional games and simulations, and game-like learning environments. Some other research interests include digital storylines, emotionally intelligent pedagogical agents, and integration of technology into STEM learning. Elena Novak has been involved in several large-scale research projects that concerned technology integration in educational and military training settings.

Tristan E. Johnson is the Director of Online Education in the Graduate School of Engineering at Northeastern University. He has been involving in numerous R&D projects, including: leading the development of two online/hybrid engineering professional graduate degrees; the design and development of instructional and performance certifications for technical operations within Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security; the design and development of online and blended learning solutions for US and International Universities; and the design and development of several technology support systems to support the use of the ISD methodology for developing complex cognitive training tasks as well as the use of a Navy-wide Human Performance Technology Support System.

Gershon Tenenbaum, PhD, Benjamin S. Bloom Professor of Educational Psychology, a graduate of Tel-Aviv University and the University of Chicago is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at the Florida State University, USA. He is a former director of the Ribstein Center for Research and Sport Medicine at the Wingate Institute in Israel, and coordinator of the Graduate Program in sport psychology at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. From 1997 to 2001 he was the President of the International Society of Sport Psychology, and from1996 to 2008 he was the Editor of the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. He published extensively in psychology and sport psychology in areas of expertise and decision-making, psychometrics, and coping with physical effort experiences. Gershon received several distinguished awards for his academic and scientific achievements, and is a member and fellow of several scientific and professional forums and societies.

Valerie J. Shute is the Mack & Effie Campbell Tyner Endowed Professor in Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems at Florida State University. Her current research involves using immersive games with stealth assessment to support learning of cognitive and non-cognitive knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Her research has resulted in numerous grants, journal articles, books, chapters in edited books, and a patent.