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1. Exploring perspectives and experiences of diverse learners' acceptance of online educational engineering games as learning tools in the classroom

   Cook-Chennault, Kimberly; Villanueva, Idalis (January 2020, Conference proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference)

   This Research Full paper focuses on perceptions and experiences of freshman and sophomore engineering students when playing an online serious engineering game that was designed to improve engineering intuition and knowledge of statics. Use of serious educational engineering games has increased in engineering education to help students increase technical competencies in engineering disciplines. However, few have investigated how these engineering games are experienced by the students; how games influence students' perceptions of learning, or how these factors may lead to inequitable perspectives among diverse populations of students. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, appeal, and opinions about the efficacy of educational online games among a diverse population of students in an engineering mechanics statics course. It was hypothesized that compared to majority groups (e.g., men, White), women of color who are engineering students would experience less connections to the online educational game in terms of ease of use and level of frustration while playing. It is believed that these discordant views may negatively influence the game's appeal and efficacy towards learning engineering in this population of students. Design/Method: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is expanded in this study, where the perspectives of women of colour (Latinx, Asian and African American) engineering students are explored. The research approach employed in this study is a mixed-method sequential exploratory design, where students first played the online engineering educational game, then completed a questionnaire, followed by participation in a focus group. Responses were initially analyzed through open and magnitude coding approaches to understand whether students thought these educational games reflected their personal culture. Results: Preliminary results indicate that though the majority of the students were receptive to using the online engineering software for their engineering education, merely a few intimated that they would use this software for engineering exam or technical job interview preparation. A level-one categorical analysis identified a few themes that comprised unintended preservation of inequality in favor of students who enjoyed contest-based education and game technology. Competition-based valuation of presumed mastery of course content fostered anxiety and intimidation among students, which caused some to "game the game" instead of studying the material, to meet grade goals. Some students indicated that they spent more time (than necessary) to learn the goals of the game than engineering content itself, suggesting a need to better integrate course material while minimizing cognitive effort in learning to navigate the game. Conclusions: Preliminary results indicate that engineering software's design and the way is coupled with course grading and assessment of learning outcomes, affect student perceptions of the technology's acceptance, usefulness, and ease of use as a "learning tool." Students were found to have different expectations of serious games juxtaposed software/apps designed for entertainment. Conclusions also indicate that acceptance of inquiry-based educational games in a classroom among diverse populations of students should clearly articulate and connect the game goals/objectives with class curriculum content. Findings also indicate that a multifaceted schema of tools, such as feedback on game challenges, and explanations for predictions of the game should be included in game/app designs. 

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2. Autonomy-Supportive Game Benefits Both Inexperienced and Experienced Programmers

   https://doi.org/doi/abs/10.5555/3503984.3503993  

   Lee, Michael J.; Shen, Ruiqi (January 2021, Journal of computing sciences in colleges)

   As more people turn to discretionary online tools to learn new skills such as computer programming, exploring how to better support a wide range of learners is becoming increasingly essential to train the next generation of highly skilled technology workers. In our prior work, users with high learner autonomy complained that most online resources they used to learn more programming did not provide them with the flexibility they preferred to navigate through learning materials, locking them into a set sequence of topics/concepts. To explore this, we implemented a level-jumping feature into an online educational programming game. We tested it with 350 new users, tracking their progress through the game for 7 days each. We found that those with high learner autonomy did use the level jumping feature more than those with low learner autonomy. We also found that males were more likely to use this new feature, regardless of learner autonomy level, compared to their female counterparts. Finally, we found that those with low learner autonomy ultimately completed more levels than their high autonomy counterparts, and that this was particularly true of female learners (who completed the most levels overall). Based on these findings, we believe that autonomous-supportive features such as flexible navigation may be beneficial to all users of online educational tools, and that encouraging its use by a wider group of users (particularly females), may increase positive effects. 

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3. Changing Students’ Perceptions of a History Exploration Game Using Different Scripts

   Slater, S; Baker, R S; Gagnon, D J (November 2022, Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE))

   As digital games and simulations continue to see use in both formal and informal learning contexts, it becomes increasingly important to understand the goals, motivations, and interests of the learners using them. Recently, there has been increased interest in identifying the different engagement profiles of learners playing games, descriptions of groups of learners’ tendencies and preferences when playing digital games. These engagement profiles represent a powerful tool for designers looking to create personalized and adaptive learning environments. In this work, we explore two aspects of these engagement profiles. First, we explore the different profiles of engagement in a large sample of elementary and middle school learners playing the history game Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case (2019) in a variety of contexts, using the data from a self-report survey. Second, we explore the effect that minor game dialogue changes had on learners’ perceptions of different game elements, such as character likeability and humor, as well as personal preferences, such as enjoyment of history. These findings highlight opportunities for personalized and adaptive game design that leverage players’ goals and motivations. 

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4. Changing Students’ Perceptions of a History Exploration Game Using Different Scripts

   Slater, S; Baker, RS; Gagnon, DJ (January 2022, International Conference on Computers in Education)

   As digital games and simulations continue to see use in both formal and informal learning contexts, it becomes increasingly important to understand the goals, motivations, and interests of the learners using them. Recently, there has been increased interest in identifying the different engagement profiles of learners playing games, descriptions of groups of learners’ tendencies and preferences when playing digital games. These engagement profiles represent a powerful tool for designers looking to create personalized and adaptive learning environments. In this work, we explore two aspects of these engagement profiles. First, we explore the different profiles of engagement in a large sample of elementary and middle school learners playing the history game Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case (2019) in a variety of contexts, using the data from a self-report survey. Second, we explore the effect that minor game dialogue changes had on learners’ perceptions of different game elements, such as character likeability and humor, as well as personal preferences, such as enjoyment of history. These findings highlight opportunities for personalized and adaptive game design that leverage players’ goals and motivations. 

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5. Perceptions of Engineering Learning Software in Classrooms with Diverse Student Populations Using an Expanded Technology Acceptance Model

   Cook-Chennault, K.; Villanueva, I. (August 2022, 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition)

   The perceptions and experiences of freshman and sophomore engineering students when playing an online serious engineering game are explored. The engineering game of interest was designed to improve engineering intuition and knowledge of engineering mechanics in a statics course. Use of serious educational engineering games has increased in engineering education to help students increase technical competencies in engineering disciplines. However, few have investigated how these engineering games are experienced by the students; how games influence students’ perceptions of learning, or how these factors may lead to inequitable perspectives among diverse populations of students. A mixed method sequential analysis informed by the Technology Acceptance Model was performed to ascertain the experiences of one hundred and thirty-two students. Women of colour indicated that going to the next challenge level in the game made them feel as though they had increased their engineering knowledge to a higher degree than their male counterparts, this group also indicated higher levels of frustration than their male and Caucasian woman counterparts. Additional studies are need to more definitive conclusions. 

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