Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of instructional gaming, cognitive style and feedback type on the achievement of different learning objectives.

One objective of this study was to empirically investigate the effect of using selected types of feedback (knowledge of response and elaborative) and gaming methods on delayed retention using self-paced programmed online instruction and evaluation for different instructional objectives, as evidenced by learner performance on five different criterion measures (drawing, identification, terminology, comprehension, and composite test score) in order to determine an optimal feedback method in selected instructional gaming environments that can reduce information loss over a specified time interval (two weeks). A second objective of this study was to determine if a relationship existed between the cognitive style (field independent/field dependent) of the learner and the use of instructional gaming, using different forms of feedback.

A total of 422 subjects participated in this study. The subjects were given the Group Embedded Figures test to determine their level of field dependence in the first session. The four treatment groups, all containing field dependent and field independent subjects, were: (A) no instructional game, (B) instructional game with questions only and no feedback, (C) instructional game with questions with knowledge of response feedback, and (D) instructional game with questions with elaborative feedback.

Subjects in treatment group A received no further instructional strategies while subjects in treatment groups B, C, and D received an online instructional game with different forms of feedback. A total of 422 subjects were in attendance for the third session that was conducted two weeks after the second session. At that time, all treatment groups were administered a delayed posttest simultaneously and a brief questionnaire. All findings were based on data from the third session. Two-way analysis of variance was used to determine whether the mean posttest scores of the subgroups of both factors, testing sequence (Factor A) and gaming method (Factor B), differed significantly from each other, and whether the two factors interacted significantly with each other, with respect to each of the different criterion measures being investigated.

The research findings indicate that subjects preferred to receive the treatment with the instructional game that contained elaborative answers to questions, considering such a rehearsal method as most effective and most motivational. The findings also suggest that the subjects that received the treatment with the instructional game that contained questions with no feedback desired more information about their answers and the correctness of their answers more so than the other gaming treatments. In addition, the findings suggest that subjects that received the treatments with the instructional game with questions with knowledge of response feedback and the subjects that received the treatments with the instructional game with questions with elaborative feedback both felt similar time pressures from the game. The research findings further indicate that the subjects that were exposed to the elaborative feedback treatment experienced overall higher study satisfaction than was evidenced in the other treatments. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Citation

Cameron, B.H. The effect of gaming, cognitive style and feedback type in facilitating delayed achievement of different learning objectives. Ph.D. thesis, The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved August 7, 2024 from https://www.learntechlib.org/p/127990/.

This record was imported from ProQuest on October 23, 2013. [Original Record]

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Keywords

• Educational Psychology Education
• Technology of Education