Effects of the Design Factors of Skill Training Games on Learning Performance and Emotion: English-Language Typing Games

Abstract

Skill training games are one kind of educational games, but they differ from the educational games that aim at promoting cognitive or affective effects. The design of skill training games prioritizes assisting learners to learn facts and knowledge and train learners in some skill via repetition and practice. To design a skill training game that supports effective learning, one must explore how the key design factors, including concentration, feedback, challenge that matches player skills, control, and immersion, affect learning performance and emotions. Thus, this study chose two online English typing game sites with significantly different game design factors to investigate the effects of game design factors on the emotions and learning performance of users. Moreover, correlations among game factors, emotions and learning performance of users were explored. The group using Fast Typing Master (FTM) had significantly higher evaluation scores in five design factors than the group using Internet Typing Classroom (ITC). Analytical results show that both sites yielded the same learning performance. However, the FTM site was superior to the ICT in terms of learning performance for males, but no significant difference existed for female learners. Moreover, this study further confirmed that the FTM leaded to significantly more negative emotion for the female learners than the ITC, but no significant difference existed for male learners. The game factor of feedback was significantly correlated with emotion and learning performance of users under most of the considered grouping conditions. Therefore, this study suggests that the most important design factor in English-language typing games is the feedback mechanism. Research results provide valuable references for game designers developing skill training games, and further clarify what is the most important factor in the games.

技能訓練遊戲為教育遊戲的一種，但是有別於提升認知及情意面向的教育遊戲。技能型訓練遊戲的設計目的在於輔助學習者學習事實與知識，以及幫助學習者透過重複性的訓練而習得有用的技能。本研究主張要設計能夠有效支援學習的教育遊戲，必須探究包括專注力、回饋、符合玩家技能挑戰性、控制感及沉浸度等遊戲設計要素如何影響學習成效與情緒。因此，本研究選擇快打高手（Fast Typing Master, FTM）及網路打字教室（Internet Typing Classroom,ITC）兩款在上述五種遊戲設計要素上具有顯著差異的線上英語打字訓練遊戲，探究其遊戲設計要素對於學習成效與情緒的影響。此外，本研究亦探究遊戲設計要素、學習成效與情緒彼此之間的關聯。結果顯示FTM在五個遊戲設計要素上均顯著高於ICT，並且兩款打字遊戲均具有顯著學習成效。然而FTM在男性學習者上的學習成效上顯著優於採用ICT的男性學習者，但是女性學習者採用這兩款遊戲在學習成效上則無顯著差異。此外，FTM導致女性學習者產生明顯較高的負面情緒，但是男性學習者採用這兩款遊戲之情緒則無顯著差異。重要的是遊戲設計要素中的回饋顯著相關於學習成效與情緒。因此，本研究歸納回饋為英語打字訓練遊戲最重要的遊戲設計要素。本研究之研究結果提供發展技能型教育遊戲有價值的設計參考，也歸納得出技能型遊戲最重要的遊戲設計要素。