Digitalization of educational plays for quality education

Abstract

Repetitive tests on a learning material help schoolchildren to memorize and to learn this material. Psychologists call this phenomenon the testing effect. Skilled teachers use learning plays to embed routine tests in an engaging way. To widespread this practice, we propose a framework to digitize learning plays embedding routine tests into educational videogames. We have identified the smallest set of game design elements required to build an educational videogame out of a learning play. We have used the self-determination theory to group game design elements, and to define a breakdown structure for engagement engineering. This structure helps select the appropriate design elements for an engagement driver. We have applied the framework to digitize a learning play. We have tested the digital play with 238 schoolchildren who considered it as a video game. The video game tested a proposed pattern to create challenges allowing an engaging flow experience. The pattern increased responses (9%) and created time distortion (24%). Delivering rewards following variable schedules reduced errors (49%) and increased time distortion (16%). This research explores how to digitize learning plays into engaging educational video games and how to design engaging video games to remediate missed learning.