Using Traces to Qualify Learner's Engagement in Game-Based Learning

Abstract

Analysing learners' behaviour continuously and under ecological conditions can help designers, trainers and teachers to analyse, design, validate, and also to adapt and personalize the learning game. Metrics methods propose to collect any interactions between a user and the game. While classical metrics methods fall within quantitative approaches, we aim to extract some qualitative information on high-level behaviours. This paper is focused on learners' engaged-behaviours. Thus, to identify and to qualify learners' engagement from their traces of interaction, we combine a theoretical work on engagement and engaged-behaviours, the Self-Determination Theory, the Activity Theory and a trace framework. We implemented this approach on 12 players' interaction data collected during four months. As a result, we identified and qualified four activities that refer to different types of engaged-behaviours. Thus, this user study show the feasibility and the validity of the proposed approach.

Learner Modeling Using Educational Games: A Review of the Literature

“…At the end of the game play, these traces can be delivered to a group of experts or automated systems in order to identify what information can be extracted from these traces and infer a lot of useful information for modeling purposes (Moreno-Ger et al 2009;Stathacopoulou et al 2007;Hou 2012;Choi et al 2005;Serrano-Laguna et al 2012;Bouvier et al 2013a;Bouvier et al 2013b). …”

“…Learners' engagement was identified in Bouvier et al (2013a) and Bouvier et al (2013b) by relying on their traces of interactions performed in the learning game. Studies of Bouvier et al (2013a) and Bouvier et al (2013b) proposed an approach that consists of three stages.…”

“…Studies of Bouvier et al (2013a) and Bouvier et al (2013b) proposed an approach that consists of three stages. The first stage aims to determine the high-level engaged-behaviors.…”

A Multiplayer Learning Game based on Mixed Reality to Enhance Awareness on Archaeology

“…The author highlights the different ways to enhance learning in SLG: the engagement in the game through the community, the mutual help in the community to make decisions in the game, the educational contents to initiate discussions in the community, the freedom in the community and the control in the game. MMORPGs therefore foster learners' engagement in the game [16] and create dynamic learning opportunities due to the community. Role-playing incites players to help each other to solve problems, by using their own different knowledge and capabilities.…”

Review of Learner Modeling Using Educational Games

“…In this method, the game engine monitors and records interaction between the learner and the game, generating a trace of actions performed by the learner during the play sessions and tracking a lot of different parameters in the game (start game, end game, quit game, phase changes, significant variables, time, performance, tasks completed, etc.). At the end of the game play, these traces can be delivered to a group of experts or automated systems in order to identify what information can be extracted from these traces and infer a lot of useful information for modelling purposes (Stathacopoulou et al, 2007;Bouvier et al, 2013a;Bouvier et al, 2013b). For example, learner's learning style was modelled in (Stathacopoulou et al, 2007) by monitoring learner's actions over time, where each response such as a keystroke, mouse move or drag was timed and recorded.…”