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Prompted self-explanation, in which learners are induced to explain how they have solved problems, is a powerful instructional technique. Self-explanation can be prompted within learning technology by asking learners to construct their own self-explanations or select explanations from a menu. The menu-based approach has led to the best learning outcomes in the relatively few cases it has been studied in the context of digital learning games, contrary to some self-explanation theory. In a classroom study of 214 5th and 6th graders, in which the students played a digital learning game, we compared three forms of prompted self-explanation: menu-based, scaffolded, and focused (i.e., open-ended text entry, but with a focused prompt). Students in the focused condition learned more than students in the menu-based condition at delayed posttest, with no other learning differences between the conditions. This suggests that focused self-explanations may be especially beneficial for retention and deeper knowledge. 

Mindfulness has been shown in prior studies to be an effective device to help students develop self-regulatory skills, including executive functions. However, these effects have been rarely tested at scale in technology-assisted learning systems such as digital learning games. In this work, we investigate the effects of mindfulness in the context of playing and learning with Decimal Point, a digital learning game for mathematics. We conducted a study with 5th and 6th grade students in which three conditions were compared - the game with short mindfulness meditations integrated, the game with similar-length, age-appropriate stories integrated, and the game in its original form. From the study results, we found no differences in time spent on the game, error rates while playing, or learning outcomes across the three conditions. Embedding mindfulness prompts within the game did not enhance learning or change students’ gameplay behaviors, which suggests that we may not have successfully induced a state of mindfulness or that mindfulness is not beneficial for learning within digital learning games. We discuss the challenges of incorporating individual mindfulness meditations in elementary and middle school classrooms.