Learning by playing with generative AI: design and evaluation of a role-playing educational game with generative AI as scaffolding for instant feedback interaction

Abstract

In this study, an online contextualized educational game was designed to provide interactive simulated dialogues using generative AI scaffolding (using ChatPDF) in a contextualized game as scaffolding for immediate feedback, where learners can access guides and explore knowledge. This study analyzed learners’ behaviors while performing AI prompting in the interactive scaffolding, as well as learners’ psychological responses. A total of 59 students participated in this study. The results of the study showed that learners had significantly high flow and low activity anxiety in the game tasks, while game feedback and scaffolding usefulness had significant effects on learning aids. The generative AI instant feedback interactive scaffolding had a certain high percentage of direct answers or indirect suggestions, which is suitable for interactive scaffolding.