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Promoting math learning in educational games with virtual companions providing learning supports

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Abstract

To enhance the effectiveness of educational games, researchers have advocated adding learning supports in educational games, but this may come at the cost of disrupting the learning experience. Embedding virtual companions to provide learning supports may be an effective solution that naturally integrates learning supports into the game. However, the effects of virtual companions providing learning supports (VCPLS) and potential influence mechanism are deficient. This study investigated the efficacy of VCPLS in enhancing learning experiences and performance in comparison to the system providing learning supports (TSPLS) and explored how VCPLS played a role in improving learning performance. A single-factor (VCPLS/ TSPLS) between-subjects design was employed, and four similar-level classes (126 middle school students) were randomly assigned to the two conditions. The results revealed that compared with TSPLS, VCPLS promoted learners’ basic psychological need satisfaction, positive emotions, motivation, and perceived learning performance but there was no difference in transfer performance. VCPLS also encouraged students to spend more time reading explanations and feedback, and process explanations actively after the first attempt and before the second attempt. Moreover, VCPLS promoted perceived learning performance by the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction and the sequential mediating roles of basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation.

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Funding

This work was supported by the [National Natural Science Foundation of China] under Grant [number: 61877025], [Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education/Open Research Fund of the Hubei Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health (CCNU)] under grant [number: 2019B04], [Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, Ministry of Education of China] under grant [number: 23YJA190003], [Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities] under Grant [number: CCNU22JC011], and [Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (The influence mechanism of Supportive-Affective Agents on Online Learning and Intervention Research)].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China

    Xiao-Rong Guo, Si-Yang Liu, Shao-Ying Gong & Jing Wang

  2. School of Health Humanities, Hubei Shizhen Laboratory, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China

    Yang Cao

  3. Department of Psychology, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

    Yan Fang

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  1. Xiao-Rong Guo
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  4. Yang Cao
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Contributions

Xiao-Rong Guo: Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation, Validation, Data Curation, Formal analysis, Writing - Original Draft, Writing Review & Editing. Si-Yang Liu: Methodology, Visualization, Validation, Creation of new software, Writing Review & Editing. Shao-Ying Gong: Conceptualization, Methodology, Resources, Writing - review & editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition. Yang Cao: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Writing - review & editing, Creation of new software. Jing Wang: Investigation, Writing - review & editing. Yan Fang: Investigation.

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Correspondence to Shao-Ying Gong or Yang Cao.

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Guo, XR., Liu, SY., Gong, SY. et al. Promoting math learning in educational games with virtual companions providing learning supports. Educ Inf Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12741-9

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