Mobile Game-Based Learning in Distance Education: A Mixed Analysis of Learners’ Emotions and Gaming Features

Abstract

Although there are multiple approaches for making lectures more interactive, Game-Based Learning (GBL) tends to achieve the highest impact on students’ emotional engagement. To this end, this study seeks to implement a mobile GBL approach in a Distance Education (DE) course to investigate the students’ gaming experience and learning related emotions. The experiment was conducted on 26 post-graduate distance students using a Kahoot! mobile game and a self-reported instrument. Quantitative analysis was implemented to measure the students’ perceived i) competence, ii) concentration and ii) immersion, and the learning related emotions of i) enjoyment, ii) boredom, iii) confusion, and iv) anxiety. Sentiment analysis revealed a highly positive emotional attitude towards mobile GBL in DE and highlighted the prevalent emotions of joy and competence. Thematic content analysis was applied to investigate the gaming features that caused negative or positive emotions. Time limit and music/sound were proved to cause negative emotions, while multimedia, colors, learnability, and sequencing were reported as positive emotional antecedes. Competition revealed mixed outcomes. Overall, this study provides with useful insights that can be used by educators and emotional designers to increase engagement and learning performance in DE.