Evaluating the Impact of Serious Games on Study Skills and Habits

Abstract

Learning is a constructive process that requires dedication and motivation. Learning games can be used to en-gage learners, by providing opportunities to apply knowledge in a safe and fun environment. We created a peer-quizzing game that allows students to quiz each other on the course material and to playfully engage in good study habits. We set out to explore if learners with better learning skills and habits would be more en-gaged in the game in the context of a first-year computer science university class. We used the "Study Skills and Habits Questionnaire" to study the relationship between study skills and habits (especially time management, concentration, goal setting, and comprehension) and engagement in a competitive version of a peer-quizzing game including a leaderboard. We collected and analysed gameplay data of the students (n=34), such as creating quiz questions and solving the questions created by their peers. The results of the data analysis showed a moderate positive correlation between study skills and habits (time management, concentration, goal setting, and comprehension) and the number of questions answered and a moderate negative correlation with the number of questions created in the game. However, the regression model was not statistically significant in explaining the variation in the dependent variable (questions created). Among the individual predictor variables, only goal setting had a statistically significant positive effect on the number of questions created. Other variables, such as time management, concentration, and comprehension, did not show significant effects on the number of questions created by students.