Predicting students' knowledge after playing a serious game based on learning analytics data: A case study

Serious games have proven to be a powerful tool in education to engage, motivate, and help students learn. However, the change in student knowledge after playing games is usually measured with traditional (paper) prequestionnaires–postquestionnaires. We propose a combination of game learning analytics and data mining techniques to predict knowledge change based on in-game student interactions. We have tested this approach in a case study for which we have conducted preexperiments–postexperiments with 227 students playing a previously validated serious game on first aid techniques. We collected student interaction data while students played, using a game learning analytics infrastructure and the standard data format Experience API for Serious Games. After data collection, we developed and tested prediction models to determine whether knowledge, given as posttest results, can be accurately predicted. Additionally, we compared models both with and without pretest information to determine the importance of previous knowledge when predicting postgame knowledge. The high accuracy of the obtained prediction models suggests that serious games can be used not only to teach but also to measure knowledge acquisition after playing. This will simplify serious games application for educational settings and especially in the classroom easing teachers' evaluation tasks.     

Mapping the study of learning analytics in higher education

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the application of technological innovation in higher education has become more and more widely spread, and technological innovation has been improving the level of education. In the research of higher education with innovation technology, one of the main focuses is on the dynamic data which can lay a foundation for the analysis of educational activities by learning analytics. The dynamic data created by technological innovation will become the key basis for analytical research and development in higher education. The methods and analysis results of learning analytics will directly affect decision-making and strategy about higher education. In this paper, we use bibliometric and visualisation methods to review the literature, in order to highlight the development of learning analytics in higher education. Using bibliometric analysis, our study depicts the development process of the main methods used in learning analytics, and summarises the current situation in this field, which increases the level of understanding provided by those studies. Finally, we summarise the research hotspots and study trends, which will be useful for future study in this field.     

基于随机对策的团队CGA学习

分布式虚拟环境中,个体CGA通过学习来适应环境和团队中其他CGA,从而增强团队求解问题的能力,提高团队的适应性和鲁棒性。当基于随机对策的团队CGA学习出现多个平衡解时,必须解决平衡的选择问题。提出了一种团队CGA学习方法TCCLA,该方法把团队CGA的学习分为两个层次:管理成员的学习和非管理成员的学习,团队中所有成员根据偏好选择最优行为,非管理成员在管理成员的引导下学习到最优平衡,解决了平衡的选择问题,改进了IPL算法,实验表明TCCLA算法的高效性。     

Evaluating the impact of a cloud-based serious game on obese people

This paper describes the process of monitoring obese people through a cloud-based serious game that promotes them to engage in physical exercises in a playful manner. The monitoring process focuses on obtaining various health and exercise-related parameters of obese during game-play, such as heart rate, weight, step count and calorie burn, which contributes to their weight loss. While the obese are engaged in the game session, therapists/caregivers can access their health data anytime, anywhere and from any device to change the game complexity level and accordingly provide on the spot recommendation. In our study, we evaluate how the different physical activities performed through this game impact their cognitive behavior in terms of attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction. The evaluation was based on the participation of 150 undergraduate obese and overweight students who were asked to play the game and fill a questionnaire after game-play. The data analysis conducted on their feedback showed that they were self-aware and motivated to play the game for weight loss.     

Effects of serious games on perceived team cohesiveness in a multi-user virtual environment

This study aims to explore the effects of a serious game on perceived team cohesiveness in a multi-user virtual environment. A one-shot case study/post-test only experiment design was used in this study. A questionnaire was administered to the participants, who played the serious game Zoom. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the proposed framework. The results indicated that the overall framework is statistically significant. The user interface elements of the game and the attitudes of the participants towards the game affected perceived team cohesiveness, whilst the personality factor “extraversion” was found to have a moderator effect on these relationships. The study is limited by the sample size, the self-reported survey and the fact that it had only one game play. The proposed framework of the study can be used by educators, researchers and managers working with groups to foster team cohesiveness in their organizations. This study differs from previous studies mainly by the application of a statistical model to observe the effects of multi-user virtual environment serious games on perceived team cohesiveness.     

Effects of anxiety levels on learning performance and gaming performance in digital game‐based learning

Anxiety plays an influential role in foreign language learning. However, a lack of attention was paid to examining the effects of anxiety levels on learning performance and gaming performance in digital game‐based learning. To this end, this study developed a game‐based English learning system and investigated how different levels of anxiety affected learners' learning performance and gaming performance. A quasi‐experiment was conducted in an elementary school. The results showed that high‐anxiety learners performed worse than low‐anxiety learners in speaking, word/sentence match, and overall learning performance. However, they performed similarly in listening performance. Moreover, the results showed that high‐ and low‐anxiety learners demonstrated a similar level of gaming performance. A subsequent analysis showed that significant correlations existed between learning performance and gaming performance for learners with high anxiety whereas such positive correlations were rarely found for learners with low anxiety, indicating that high‐anxiety learners' learning performance could be fostered by their gaming performance. The findings suggested that digital game‐based learning was particularly beneficial to high‐anxiety learners, whose gaming performance was a facilitative factor of their learning performance.     

Assessing the validity of a learning analytics expectation instrument: A multinational study

To assist higher education institutions in meeting the challenge of limited student engagement in the implementation of Learning Analytics services, the Questionnaire for Student Expectations of Learning Analytics (SELAQ) was developed. This instrument contains 12 items, which are explained by a purported two-factor structure of “Ethical and Privacy Expectations” and “Service Feature Expectations.” As it stands, however, the SELAQ has only been validated with students from UK university, which is problematic on account of the interest in Learning Analytics extending beyond this context. Thus, the aim of the current work was to assess whether the translated SELAQ can be validated in three contexts (an Estonian, a Spanish, and a Dutch University). The findings show that the model provided acceptable fits in both the Spanish and Dutch samples, but was not supported in the Estonian student sample. In addition, an assessment of local fit is undertaken for each sample, which provides important points that need to be considered in future work. Finally, a general comparison of expectations across contexts is undertaken, which are discussed in relation to the General Data Protection Regulation (2018).     

An online game approach for improving students’ learning performance in web-based problem-solving activities

In this paper, an online game was developed in the form of a competitive board game for conducting web-based problem-solving activities. The participants of the game determined their move by throwing a dice. Each location of the game board corresponds to a gaming task, which could be a web-based information-searching question or a mini-game; the former was used to guide the participants to search for information to answer a series of questions related to the target learning issue, while the latter was used to provide supplementary materials during the gaming process. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, an experiment was conducted on an elementary school natural science course. The experimental results showed that the proposed approach not only significantly promoted the flow experience, learning attitudes, learning interest and technology acceptance degree of the students, but also improved their learning achievements in the web-based problem-solving activity.     

Teacher regulation of cognitive activities during student collaboration: Effects of learning analytics

By collaboratively solving a task, students are challenged to share ideas, express their thoughts, and engage in discussion. Collaborating groups of students may encounter problems concerning cognitive activities (such as a misunderstanding of the task material). If these problems are not addressed and resolved in time, the collaborative process is hindered. The teacher plays an important role in monitoring and solving the occurrence of problems. To provide adaptive support, teachers continuously have to be aware of students' activities in order to identify relevant events, including those that require intervention. Because the amount of available information is high, teachers may be supported by learning analytics. The present experimental study (n = 40) explored the effect of two learning analytics tools (the Concept Trail and Progress Statistics) that give information about students' cognitive activities. The results showed that when teachers had access to learning analytics, they were not better at detecting problematic groups, but they did offer more support in general, and more specifically targeted groups that experienced problems. This could indicate that learning analytics increase teachers' confidence to act, which in turn means students could benefit more from the teacher's presence.     

Learning loops – interactions between guided reflection and experience‐based learning in a serious game activity

In a study on experience‐based learning in serious games, 45 players were tested for topic comprehension by a questionnaire administered before and after playing the single‐player serious game Peacemaker (Impact Games 2007). Players were divided into two activity conditions: 20 played a 1‐h game with a 3‐min half‐time break to complete an affect self‐report form while 25 also participated in a 20‐min reflective group discussion during their half‐time break. During the discussion, they were asked by an experimenter to reflect on a set of topics related to the game. We present the analysis of the questionnaires, which illustrates that contrary to our expectations the reflection period had a negative effect on the learning of the players as judged by their performance on closed‐form questions at levels 1–5 (out of 6) on the Bloom taxonomy of learning outcomes. The questionnaire also included a few open questions which gave the players a possibility to display deep (level 6) learning. The players did not differ significantly between conditions regarding the questions measuring deep learning.     

基于博弈学习多Agent交互研究

由于人们之间的博弈行为受多种因素的制约和影响,而传统的博弈方法很难处理这种影响因素多变、交互关系复杂的博弈问题,给出一个基于博弈学习的多智能体(multi-Agent)交互模型,并以此为基础构建多Agent交互的博弈学习方法。对合作小组中成员的行为进行修正,通过博弈学习中学习因子的更新得到局部均衡,达到全局利益优化。实例仿真验证了该方法的可行性。     

The impact of learning design on student behaviour,satisfaction and performance: A cross-institutional comparison across 151 modules

Pedagogically informed designs of learning are increasingly of interest to researchers in blended and online learning, as learning design is shown to have an impact on student behaviour and outcomes. Although learning design is widely studied, often these studies are individual courses or programmes and few empirical studies have connected learning designs of a substantial number of courses with learning behaviour. In this study we linked 151 modules and 111.256 students with students' behaviour (<400 million minutes of online behaviour), satisfaction and performance at the Open University UK using multiple regression models. Our findings strongly indicate the importance of learning design in predicting and understanding Virtual Learning Environment behaviour and performance of students in blended and online environments. In line with proponents of social learning theories, our primary predictor for academic retention was the time learners spent on communication activities, controlling for various institutional and disciplinary factors. Where possible, appropriate and well designed communication tasks that align with the learning objectives of the course may be a way forward to enhance academic retention.     

Effects of an online team project-based learning environment with group awareness and peer evaluation on socially shared regulation of learning and self-regulated learning

Recently, some studies proposed methods to promote socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) level within a team because high SSRL levels enable an effective collaboration. Meanwhile, several studies also proposed methods in online collaboration to enhance individual self-regulated learning (SRL). Notably, most existing studies focused on proposing methods and tools either for enhancing SSRL level within a team or for enhancing individual SRL. A computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment with proper supports is promising for simultaneously enhancing the SSRL level within a team and individual SRL because SSRL and SRL have an inseparable relation and mutually influence during collaborative process. Based on the existing principles and theories, this work adopts the supports of group awareness and peer evaluation in CSCL with project-based learning. Group awareness (GA) can reveal collaborative behaviour of group members and regulate their participation while peer assessment (PE), which can appraise member’s contribution, can encourage individual responsibility and refine regulatory strategies. This study finds that the proposed group awareness and peer assessment (GAPE) (i.e. the experimental class) moderately reduces the free-rider effect and enhanced SSRL level and individual SRL, compared with NO-GAPE (i.e. the control group). Furthermore, this study also confirms that the perceived SSRL level can effectively predict individual SRL.     

Design,implementation and test of a serious online game for exploring complex relationships of sustainable land management and human well-being

Land is a limited resource providing various services. Decisions on land use shape the distribution of these life support functions and thus require understanding of complex feedbacks between decisions on land use and human resource appropriation. Due to multiple nonlinear feedbacks between management, productivity, environmental quality, and human well-being, complexity is an inherent property of land systems. We present an educational game, which aims at illustrating options of sustainable land management to the interested public, students and stakeholders. The game provides the opportunity to govern a country by exploring how contrasting dimensions of sustainability (economy, environment and social conditions), can be harmonized regionally, while continuously being threatened by global trade fluctuations. The game was tested by several groups of students from high schools and universities. The feedback shows that the game is a valuable tool in environmental education initiating learning the complexity of feedbacks in land use and resources appropriation.     

Supporting teachers in guiding collaborating students: Effects of learning analytics in CSCL

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of teacher supporting tools that present summaries, visualizations, and analyses of student participation and discussion on the way teachers guide collaborating groups of students in a digital learning environment. An experimental set-up was used in which authentic student data was converted to simulation vignettes that participants could interact with, enabling them to act as the teacher. The vignettes contained groups that had a problem concerning participation or discussion. When presented with the supporting tools, teachers and student teachers were better able to spot the problems regarding participation, intervened more often in problematic groups as time progressed, and displayed more specific explanations of their actions.