The benefits of a challenge: student motivation and flow experience in tablet-PC-game-based learning

Abstract

Advances in technology have led to continuous innovation in teaching and learning methods. For instance, the use of tablet PCs (TPCs) in classroom instruction has been shown to be effective in attracting and motivating students' interest and increasing their desire to participate in learning activities. In this paper, we used a TPCs game – an iPad app called Motion Math: Hungry Fish – to help young students learn to theoretically understand and practically implement the mathematical concepts of addition and subtraction. Based on findings from a pilot study, we categorized the game's 18 levels of difficulty into “challenging” (experimental group) and “matching” (control group) games. We aimed to investigate whether challenging games were more able than matching games to improve the students' motivation, flow experience, self-efficacy for technology, self-efficacy for science, feelings about the TPC game, and satisfaction with the learning approach. The findings showed that the students in the experimental group achieved better flow experience, learning performance, and satisfaction.

Keywords:

• digital game-based learning
• flow experience
• self-efficacy
• tablet PCs
• learner motivation

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the Director of Academic Affairs, Chia-Ying Lee, as well as the instructors and the students in the Ching Tsao Hu Elementary School who participated in this study and acknowledge the contributions of Shin-Pei Yu, Shih-Jou Yu, and Min-Jung Hsu, who assisted in conducting the experiment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Cheng-Yu Hung is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Education at the National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. His current research interests include applying new educational technology tools, e-learning, and technology-enhanced game-based learning, as well as examining how these learning environments affect student motivation, flow experience and self-efficacy.

Prof. Jerry Chih-Yuan Sun is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Education at the National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. His major research interests include assessing new educational tools, e-learning, and technology-enhanced learning, as well as examining how these learning environments affect student learning, motivation, and engagement.

Prof. Pao-Ta Yu received the B.S. degree in mathematics from the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan, in 1979, the M.S. degree in computer science from the National Taiwan University, Taipei, in 1985, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, in 1989. Since 1990, he has been with the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan, where he is currently a professor. His research interests include e-learning, neural networks and fuzzy systems, nonlinear filter design, intelligent networks, and XML technology.

ORCID

Cheng-Yu Hung http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6869-290X

Jerry Chih-Yuan Sun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7892-4313

Pao-Ta Yu http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2933-5977

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported in part by the National Science Council of the Republic of China under contract numbers NSC 101-2511-S-009-010-MY3, NSC 102-2511-S-194-001, and NSC 102-2511-S-194-005-MY3.