Comparing Voluntary and Mandatory Gameplay

Abstract

Gameplay is commonly considered to be a voluntary activity. Game designers generally believe that voluntary gameplay is essentially different from mandatory gameplay. Such a belief may be a challenge for serious games, as instruction is usually mandatory. The article describes the outcomes of two experiments on the impact of voluntariness on the learning effect and enjoyment of a serious game. In the first experiment freedom of choosing to play a serious game was studied, with participants who had volunteered to participate. The results suggested that, contrary to the opinion of many game designers, being required to play a serious game does not automatically take the fun out of the game. The second experiment had voluntary participants and mandatory participants, who had to participate as part of a homework assignment. The outcomes show that mandatory participants enjoyed the game as much as the voluntary participants, even if they had to play the game for a minimum required time. These studies indicate that mandatory gameplay does not reduce enjoyment and learning effect.

Game and Simulation Stimulate Conceptual Change about Molecular Emergence in Different Ways, with Potential Cultural Implications

“…Play in itself is a voluntary activity [58], which conflicts with the instructional purpose of educational games, possibly hindering engagement in the learning activity [59,60]. However, Kuindersma et al [61] showed that mandatory play did not negatively impact post-secondary students' learning about aviation and resulted in longer total playtime when compared to students who used the game voluntarily. While greater internal validity is achieved through mandatory, monitored play, greater ecological validity is potentially achieved through experiments allowing voluntary play in out-of-class contexts.…”

Using a computer game to teach circuit concepts

“…It is unclear if measures of self-motivation transfer to settings where gameplay is an assigned or even mandatory activity [24,25]. We had to ask ourselves if intrinsic motivators such as enjoyment and having fun can survive in this environment, or if instead we are creating what is oftentimes frowned upon as 'chocolate-covered broccoli' [26].…”

Editorial

“…This paper presents serious games developed for Science courses in elementary and secondary education. The games were evaluated by teachers, and the evaluation results show that simulation-based serious games are promising tools for improving learning effects in this context.The last paper is "Comparing Voluntary and Mandatory Gameplay", by Esther Kuindersma, Jelke van der Pal, Jaap van den Herik, and Aske Plaat [5]. The paper considers the impact of voluntariness on the learning effect and enjoyment of a serious game.…”

“…The last paper is "Comparing Voluntary and Mandatory Gameplay", by Esther Kuindersma, Jelke van der Pal, Jaap van den Herik, and Aske Plaat [5]. The paper considers the impact of voluntariness on the learning effect and enjoyment of a serious game.…”