Acceptance of game-based learning and intrinsic motivation as predictors for learning success and flow experience

Abstract

There is accumulating evidence that engagement with digital math games can<br/>improve students’ learning. However, in what way individual variables critical to<br/>game-based learning influence students' learning success still needs to be explored.<br/>Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of students’<br/>acceptance of game-based learning (e.g., perceived usefulness of a game as a<br/>learning tool, perceived ease of use), as well as their intrinsic motivation for math<br/>(e.g., their math interest, self-efficacy) and quality of playing experience on learning<br/>success in a game-based rational number training. Additionally, we investigated the<br/>influence of the former variables on quality of playing experience (operationalized<br/>as perceived flow). Results indicated that the game-based training was effective.<br/>Moreover, students’ learning success and their quality of playing experience were<br/>predicted by measures of acceptance of game-based learning and intrinsic<br/>motivation for math. These findings indicated that learning success in game-based<br/>learning approaches are driven by students’ acceptance of the game as a learning<br/>tool and content-specific intrinsic motivation. Therefore, the present work is of<br/>particular interest to researchers, developers, and practitioners working with gamebased<br/>learning environments.