Autonomy and Types of Informational Text Presentations in Game-Based Learning Environments

Abstract

Game-based learning environments (GBLEs) are being increasingly utilized in education and training to enhance and encourage engagement and learning. This study investigated how students, who were afforded varying levels of autonomy, interacted with two types of informational text presentations (e.g., non-player character (NPC) instances, traditional informational text) while problem solving with Crystal Island (CI), a GBLE, and their effect on overall learning by examining eye-tracking and performance data. Ninety undergraduate students were randomly assigned to two conditions, full and partial agency, which varied in the amount of autonomy students were granted to explore CI and interactive game elements (i.e., reading informational text, scanning food items). Within CI, informational text is presented in a traditional format, where there are large chunks of text presented at a single time represented as books and research articles, as well as in the form of participant conversation with NPCs throughout the environment. Results indicated significantly greater proportional learning gain (PLG) for participants in the partial agency condition than in the full agency condition. Additionally, longer participant fixations on traditionally presented informational text positively predicted participant PLG. Fixation durations were significantly longer in the partial agency condition than the full agency condition. However, the combination of visual and verbal text represented by NPCs were not significant predictors of PLGs and do not differ across conditions.