Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: In this study the effects of several variables on intrinsic motivation and in-game progression are tested in a serious game that matches bird pictures to names. The first variables are ‘pointification’ rewards (badges and points) and educational rewards (learning materials and bird sounds). Finally, the effect of voluntarily increasing the difficulty of the game is investigated. The in-game analytics of 66 in game sessions are examined. In addition, the players Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) survey scores are calculated. The findings indicate that 'pointification' and educational rewards show no statistically significant difference in the in-game progression or IMI scores of players. Voluntarily increasing the difficulty is shown to increase the IMI scores of players. This study extends on the discussion of alternatives to 'pointification' and provides new insights on the optional difficulty systems in educational games.
Authors: Janne, Roman Bednarik, Juho Kahila, Matti Tedre
Institution: University of Eastern Finland
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4404593464