Academic literature on the topic 'Educational online game'

The use of online courses continues to increase despite the small amount of research that exists on the effectiveness of online educational environments. The little research that has been conducted has focused on evaluating factors taken into consideration during the adoption of online learning environments. One notable benefit often cited is the ability to incorporate multimedia such as video games. Although game researchers and developers are pushing for the use of video games for educational purposes, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of serious video games. When paring the increasing use of online educational environments, the push to use serious video games, and the lack of research on the effectiveness of online learning environments and video games, there is a clear need for further investigation into the use of serious video games in an online format. Based on current literature, no other known study has conducted an analysis comparing a serious game-based and non-game based online course; making this a unique study. The purpose of this study was to compare student learning experiences and outcomes between a serious game-based and non-game based online American History course. The data sources were data provided from Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and student and teacher interviews. Random samples of 92 students were statistically analyzed. A group of 8 students and 4 teachers were interviewed. FLVS data provided were analyzed using an independent t-test and the Mann-Whitney test and the student and teacher interview were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results of an independent t-test revealed that there was a significant (p < .01) difference in the mean number of days necessary to complete the course (MGB = 145.80, SDGB = 50.64, MNGB = 112.63, SDNGB = 49.60). The Mann-Whitney results indicated a significant difference between course performance and the type of American history course (Z = -5.066, p < .01); students in the serious game-based online course had an A average whereas students in the non-game-based online course had a B average. The thematic analysis of the relationship between student performance and motivation in both courses indicated that students and teachers of the game-based online course provided more reasons for student motivation than the students and teachers in the non-game-based online course. The thematic analysis of what aspects do students perceive as helpful and/or hindering to their learning indicated that students and teachers of the game-based online course provided more desirable, more helpful, less undesirable, and less hindering aspects for their course than the students and teachers in the non-game-based online course. As a result of the unique nature of this study, the findings provide new information for the fields of research on online learning, serious video gaming, and instructional design as well as inform instructional-designers, teachers, education stakeholders, serious video game designers, and education researchers.<br>Ph.D.<br>Other<br>Education<br>Education PhD

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-74).<br>With the United States of America suffering from a lack of scientifically literate grade and secondary school students, educational games offer an opportunity to engage and inspire students to take interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) subjects. Learning assessment techniques coupled with machine learning algorithms can be utilized to record student's in-game actions and formulate a model of the student's knowledge. This paper describes "Experiment Centered Assessment Design" (XCD), a framework for structuring a learning assessment feedback loop. XCD builds on the "Evidence Centered Assessment Design" (ECD) approach, which uses tasks to elicit evidence about a student and his learning. XCD defines every task as an experiment in the scientific method, where an experiment maps a test of factors to observable outcomes. This XCD framework was applied to prototype quests in a massively multiplayer online (MMO) educational game. Future work would apply machine learning techniques to the information captured from XCD to provide feedback to students, teachers, and researchers.<br>by Shawn Conrad.<br>M. Eng.

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 74-75).<br>In this design-based research project, I developed two simulations to be used as student tools in a massively multiplayer online game targeted at STEM education, the Radix Endeavor. I designed both the underlying agent-based model as well as the user interface for each simulation, and furthermore designed quests for my simulations for the purposes of playtesting. My final ecological prototype is able to authentically model fairly complex food webs of six or more organisms, and my final evolutionary prototype can handle complex fitness relationships between the individual traits of a single population and various environmental factors. In my thesis, I discuss the design and implementation of these simulations, the feedback we received from students, the overall effectiveness of my prototypes, and recommendations for further work.<br>by Mark Zhang.<br>M. Eng.

Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2013.<br>Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.<br>Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-53).<br>Digital games have proven to be powerful learning tools, and may hold the key to closing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) achievement gap in the United States. Multiplayer play in particular can foster peer instruction, mentorship, and other productive learning interactions. However, few models of effective multiplayer mechanics exist for educational games. This paper outlines a scheme for developing synchronous multiplayer tasks for a Flash-based massively multiplayer online game (MMO), and discusses design considerations for creating meaningful multiplayer interactions. The results were applied to the design and implementation of multiplayer quest prototypes for the Radix Endeavor, an educational MMO.<br>by Michaela LaVan.<br>M. Eng.

This study explored undergraduate and graduate students' attitudes toward the pleasurability of educational gamification in online learning environments. The study is a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research that investigated students' attitudes quantitatively, then qualitatively. In the quantitative phase, an online survey, the Pleasurable Learning Experiences scale (PLLEXs), was administrated at one of the largest public southwestern universities in the U.S. (N = 119). The qualitative phase involved conducting eight semi-structured interviews with selected participants. The PLLEXs uses a 4-point Likert scale that encompasses 4 subscales: (a) Preferences for Instructions, (b) Preferences for Instructors' Teaching Styles, (c) Preferences for Activities, and (d) Preferences for Learning Effectiveness. A series of analyses of variances (ANOVAs) were used to identify predictors of students' overall attitudes toward educational gamification. The main findings were: (a) students had strong preferences toward educational gamification with Preferences of Instructions rated the highest subscale and Preferences for Activities rated the lowest subscale, (b) major was a statistically significant predictor of students' attitudes toward educational gamification, (c) international students had statistically significant lower preferences toward educational gamification compared with U.S. domestic students, (c) online learning experiences measured by the number of previous online courses and the number of hours spent weekly on computers for academic-related work were statistically significant predictors of students' attitudes toward educational gamification, (d) instructor's feedback was the most important aspect and online collaboration was the most challenging aspect in online learning environments, and (e) the use of multimedia in LMSs can support or hinder teaching and learning activities.

<p> The study investigated the use of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) in English and Business classrooms in Higher Education from the context of learners&rsquo; performance outcomes, as well as stakeholders&rsquo; (learners, administrators, and faculty) perceptions pertaining to their experiences when using an MMOG based curriculum. The findings strongly suggest that MMOGs helped enhance learner performances in statistically significant ways, and provided valuable insights into elements of interest and concerns of stakeholders about MMOG usage in classrooms. Based on these insights, I designed a practitioners&rsquo; guide to assist future scholars interested in this curricular approach. This guide provides innovative tips on show how faculty, administrators and institutions may imbibe this cutting-edge technology in easy and affordable ways within classrooms, while dealing with several concerns such stakeholders may have regarding the use of such games. Given the rise in popularity of game based technology and the existing literature on the value of game based education, coupled with a paucity of studies examining applicability and implementation issues in the context of using MMOGs, I hope that this submission will be a valuable contribution to the literature.</p><p>