The purpose of this study is to create a Structural Equation Model for explaining the variables' relationships which can be game features, learner competences, flow, motivation, learning achievement in digital game-based learning to examine the fitnes...
The purpose of this study is to create a Structural Equation Model for explaining the variables' relationships which can be game features, learner competences, flow, motivation, learning achievement in digital game-based learning to examine the fitness of the Structural Equation Model, and to verify the structural relationship among the variables.
For this purpose, the research questions were formulated as follows.
What are the relationships of game features as media of instruction and learning, learner competences, flow, motivation and learning achievement in game-based learning?
To answer these questions, we examined variables of game features and learner competences having influence on game-based learning based on reviewing relevant literature and critical analysis of the previous studies, and formulated a theoretical framework developed to explain the variables that have influence on the learning achievement in game-based learning. And the survey was conducted to test the theoretical framework model to university students, 345 out of 350 questionnaires were returned, and 301 questionnaires were finally used for analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis for examining the measurement model was conducted by using the AMOS software program. The results of this research are as follows.
First, relationships of game features and learner competences have influence on the flow in game-based learning. Game features have a significant influence on the flow, which turns out all of variables that interaction, competition, design, narrative. And also learner competences have influence on the flow, which turns out the usage attitudes, technical skill and activity, but important level was no significant the flow.
Second, according to the result of game features and learner competences, the result has effect on motivation. Game features have impact on external motivation were design and competition. Of this sub factors design turned out the positive effect, but competition turned out the negative effect to external motivation. And also, narrative and interaction were no signification the external motivation. Learner competences affect internal motivation which can be technical skill, usage attitudes, and activity. But important level was no significant the internal motivation. And also, game features influence internal motivation, which turned out the interaction and competition. Based on this result, we can understand a fact that games as a learning environment provide the important function that learner can experience various interaction and competitions as an activity space including visual effect and design for flow.
Third, according to the relationships between flow and motivation, flow has a positive influence on internal motivation, but that turned out a negative influence to external motivation. For this result, flow experience was related to internal motivation that means motivation to accomplish own goal, learning task and process comes from within individual, motivation determined by learner own values and goals.
Finally, in terms of the relationships between motivation and learning achievement, internal motivation has a positive influence on learning achievement, but external motivation turned out no significant to learning achievement.
The important meaning of this study was to verify practicability for the relationships of variables’ effect between among game features, learner competences, flow, motivation and learning achievement, in order to verify the structural model for variables’ relationships in game-based learning. Over the next year, results of this study are expected to be used as basic materials for systematic instructional design and educational digital game’s research of development on usage aspect of instruction and learning to digital game as new media.