Board 51: Work in Progress: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of the Video Game Freedom Bridge.

Samuel Opeyemi Falade; Kristi J. Shryock; Michael S Rugh; Andre Thomas

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Computers in Education Division (COED) Poster Session
Tagged Division: Computers in Education Division (COED)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47048

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Paper Authors

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Samuel Opeyemi Falade Texas A&M University orcid.org/0009-0003-9359-6826

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Samuel Falade is a PhD student in Multidisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. His research focuses on the non-entertainment use of games and game engines.

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Kristi J. Shryock Texas A&M University

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Dr. Kristi J. Shryock is the Frank and Jean Raymond Foundation Inc. Endowed Associate Professor in Multidisciplinary Engineering and Affiliated Faculty in Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. She also serves as Director of the Craig and Galen Brown Engineering Honors Program. She received her BS, MS, and PhD from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M. Kristi works to improve the undergraduate engineering experience through evaluating preparation in areas, such as mathematics and physics, evaluating engineering identity and its impact on retention, incorporating non-traditional teaching methods into the classroom, and engaging her students with interactive methods.

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Michael S Rugh Texas A&M University orcid.org/0000-0002-0222-5719

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Michael S. Rugh is an Associate Research Scientist for the LIVE Lab at Texas A&M University. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. He received the Graduate Merit Fellowship from the Association of Former Students and was the College of Education and Human Development Distinguished Honor Graduate for Fall 2021. He has had multiple years of K–16 teaching in mathematics and science. As a research scientist, he leads research teams to study the effects of products created by the LIVE Lab which include educational video games, apps, simulations, and virtual environments for learning and assessment.

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Andre Thomas Texas A&M University

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Abstract

For most students, traditional learning occurs through lectures and textbooks and assessment methods, including quizzes, assignments, and exams. This concept of traditional learning has evolved to some extent with technology, and today online, software, or mobile learning platforms and learning management systems (LMS) have become more common for students. Despite this, integrating technology into education is challenging due to many factors, including structured curriculum, academic demands, and lack of rewards. As technology continues to evolve, educational video games are gaining popularity, especially Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). These types of educational games allow students to interact with the material in new ways, which can increase their motivation, foster independence in their education, and promote a student-centered learning experience.

This research study investigates the extent that playing an emotional video game can have on the motivation of students to learn and retain information and the possible effect that changing the visuals can have on the emotions and the learning outcomes. The study design consists of five groups of participants, which include a control group that reads the end screen of the game and four groups that play different versions of the game. Students were surveyed before and after the task, and a post-study survey was sent to the participants a week after their participation to determine their motivation and learning types and how well they retained the information after one week.

Research questions addressed in this study include: How do deep emotional engagements affect the learning outcomes of college students using educational video games? How does the emotional and learning experience differ if the visual representation changes for college students using educational video games?

To answer these questions, we used a short educational video game specifically developed to invoke emotions to study the impact of learning. We then created four 3-D versions of the online game designed, called Freedom Bridge, for the study. Preliminary data from 20 participants show a positive retention of material learned by the group that played the game compared to the control group, who did not.

The study explored the relationship between emotional engagement through educational video games and the learning outcomes of participants. By measuring the effectiveness of emotional video games as a learning tool, this study aims to provide a more clear understanding of how video games can be used to enhance educational experiences.

Citation
Format

Falade, S. O., & Shryock, K. J., & Rugh, M. S., & Thomas, A. (2024, June), Board 51: Work in Progress: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of the Video Game Freedom Bridge. Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47048

TY - CPAPER
AB - For most students, traditional learning occurs through lectures and textbooks and assessment methods, including quizzes, assignments, and exams. This concept of traditional learning has evolved to some extent with technology, and today online, software, or mobile learning platforms and learning management systems (LMS) have become more common for students. Despite this, integrating technology into education is challenging due to many factors, including structured curriculum, academic demands, and lack of rewards. As technology continues to evolve, educational video games are gaining popularity, especially Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). These types of educational games allow students to interact with the material in new ways, which can increase their motivation, foster independence in their education, and promote a student-centered learning experience.

This research study investigates the extent that playing an emotional video game can have on the motivation of students to learn and retain information and the possible effect that changing the visuals can have on the emotions and the learning outcomes. The study design consists of five groups of participants, which include a control group that reads the end screen of the game and four groups that play different versions of the game. Students were surveyed before and after the task, and a post-study survey was sent to the participants a week after their participation to determine their motivation and learning types and how well they retained the information after one week.

Research questions addressed in this study include:
How do deep emotional engagements affect the learning outcomes of college students using educational video games?
How does the emotional and learning experience differ if the visual representation changes for college students using educational video games?

To answer these questions, we used a short educational video game specifically developed to invoke emotions to study the impact of learning. We then created four 3-D versions of the online game designed, called Freedom Bridge, for the study. Preliminary data from 20 participants show a positive retention of material learned by the group that played the game compared to the control group, who did not.

The study explored the relationship between emotional engagement through educational video games and the learning outcomes of participants. By measuring the effectiveness of emotional video games as a learning tool, this study aims to provide a more clear understanding of how video games can be used to enhance educational experiences.

AU - Samuel Opeyemi Falade
AU - Kristi J. Shryock
AU - Michael S Rugh
AU - Andre Thomas
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 51: Work in Progress: Cognitive and Emotional Effects of the Video Game Freedom Bridge.
UR - https://peer.asee.org/47048
ER -