Student profiles based on in-game performance and help-seeking behaviours in an online mathematics game

IF 6.7 1区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

British Journal of Educational Technology Pub Date : 2024-04-13 DOI:10.1111/bjet.13463

Reilly Norum, Ji-Eun Lee, Erin Ottmar, Lane Harrison

{"title":"Student profiles based on in-game performance and help-seeking behaviours in an online mathematics game","authors":"Reilly Norum, Ji-Eun Lee, Erin Ottmar, Lane Harrison","doi":"10.1111/bjet.13463","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <p>Well-designed online educational games can improve students' math knowledge, skills and engagement; however, more research is needed to understand how to formatively assess components of students' mathematical understanding and learning as students solve problems in online educational games. In this study, we examined how 7th-grade students' (<i>N</i> = 760) in-game performance (ie, strategy efficiency, mathematical validity of the first action, mathematical errors) and help-seeking behaviours (ie, hint requests) correlated with their algebraic knowledge in an online mathematics game. The <i>k</i>-means cluster analysis identified four groups of students based on their in-game metrics, and some variabilities in their in-game performance were found. Although hint requests were available, only a few students showed a high percentage of hint requests during their gameplay. The regression analysis revealed that students' in-game performance and help-seeking behavioural patterns explained a significant amount of variance in students' algebraic knowledge above and beyond their prior knowledge. Our results suggest that how students interact with the online learning game is related to their later math performance, and qualitative aspects of student behaviours captured using log data provide meaningful information to students' algebraic understanding.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <div>\n \n <div>\n \n <h3>Practitioner notes</h3>\n <p>What is already known about this topic\n\n </p><ul>\n \n <li>Well-designed online educational games can improve students' math knowledge, skills, and engagement.</li>\n \n <li>Several studies found that some in-game metrics, such as in-game progress or correctness of tasks, are positively associated with learning outcomes.</li>\n \n <li>However, many studies used simple metrics like the correctness of each task or the number of problems completed to measure students' performance in the game.</li>\n \n <li>Few studies measured more in the moment or qualitative aspects of student in-game performance, for example, how efficiently students solved problems in the game.</li>\n </ul>\n <p>What this paper adds\n\n </p><ul>\n \n <li>In-game metrics measuring more in the moment and qualitative aspects of students' problem-solving explained a significant amount of variance in students' algebraic knowledge above and beyond students' prior knowledge.</li>\n \n <li>Students' strategy efficiency and strategic planning were positively associated with students' math problem-solving performance.</li>\n \n <li>Although hints were available for almost all problems, only a few students exhibited a high level of help-seeking behaviours, and the students with the lowest in-game performance who needed help the most showed low help-seeking behaviours.</li>\n </ul>\n <p>Implications for practice and/or policy\n\n </p><ul>\n \n <li>Classifying students into profiles could provide ways to identify students with different levels of problem-solving skills and help teachers provide more personalized instruction.</li>\n \n <li>Teachers could use this information as a formative assessment to identify the core areas of intervention needed, particularly for students struggling with math concepts taught in the game.</li>\n \n <li>Instructional strategies that make hints more appealing or engaging to students might be needed.</li>\n </ul>\n </div>\n </div>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":48315,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Educational Technology","volume":"55 6","pages":"2697-2718"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"British Journal of Educational Technology","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjet.13463","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Well-designed online educational games can improve students' math knowledge, skills and engagement; however, more research is needed to understand how to formatively assess components of students' mathematical understanding and learning as students solve problems in online educational games. In this study, we examined how 7th-grade students' (N = 760) in-game performance (ie, strategy efficiency, mathematical validity of the first action, mathematical errors) and help-seeking behaviours (ie, hint requests) correlated with their algebraic knowledge in an online mathematics game. The k-means cluster analysis identified four groups of students based on their in-game metrics, and some variabilities in their in-game performance were found. Although hint requests were available, only a few students showed a high percentage of hint requests during their gameplay. The regression analysis revealed that students' in-game performance and help-seeking behavioural patterns explained a significant amount of variance in students' algebraic knowledge above and beyond their prior knowledge. Our results suggest that how students interact with the online learning game is related to their later math performance, and qualitative aspects of student behaviours captured using log data provide meaningful information to students' algebraic understanding.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Well-designed online educational games can improve students' math knowledge, skills, and engagement.
Several studies found that some in-game metrics, such as in-game progress or correctness of tasks, are positively associated with learning outcomes.
However, many studies used simple metrics like the correctness of each task or the number of problems completed to measure students' performance in the game.
Few studies measured more in the moment or qualitative aspects of student in-game performance, for example, how efficiently students solved problems in the game.

What this paper adds

In-game metrics measuring more in the moment and qualitative aspects of students' problem-solving explained a significant amount of variance in students' algebraic knowledge above and beyond students' prior knowledge.
Students' strategy efficiency and strategic planning were positively associated with students' math problem-solving performance.
Although hints were available for almost all problems, only a few students exhibited a high level of help-seeking behaviours, and the students with the lowest in-game performance who needed help the most showed low help-seeking behaviours.

Implications for practice and/or policy

Classifying students into profiles could provide ways to identify students with different levels of problem-solving skills and help teachers provide more personalized instruction.
Teachers could use this information as a formative assessment to identify the core areas of intervention needed, particularly for students struggling with math concepts taught in the game.
Instructional strategies that make hints more appealing or engaging to students might be needed.

查看原文本刊更多论文

基于在线数学游戏中的游戏表现和求助行为的学生档案

精心设计的在线教育游戏可以提高学生的数学知识、技能和参与度；然而，如何在学生解决在线教育游戏中的问题时，对学生的数学理解和学习进行形成性评估，还需要更多的研究。在本研究中，我们考察了七年级学生（N = 760）在在线数学游戏中的游戏表现（即策略效率、第一次操作的数学有效性、数学错误）和寻求帮助的行为（即提示请求）与其代数知识的相关性。K-means 聚类分析根据游戏中的指标确定了四组学生，并发现他们在游戏中的表现存在一些差异。虽然有提示请求，但只有少数学生在游戏中显示出较高的提示请求比例。回归分析表明，学生在游戏中的表现和寻求帮助的行为模式解释了学生代数知识中的大量差异，这些差异超出了他们的已有知识。我们的研究结果表明，学生与在线学习游戏的互动方式与他们以后的数学成绩有关，利用日志数据捕捉到的学生行为的定性方面为学生理解代数知识提供了有意义的信息。一些研究发现，游戏中的一些指标（如游戏进度或任务正确率）与学习效果呈正相关。然而，许多研究使用简单的指标，如每个任务的正确率或完成问题的数量来衡量学生在游戏中的表现。很少有研究对学生在游戏中的表现进行即时或定性测量，例如，学生在游戏中解决问题的效率。本文补充的内容在游戏中衡量学生解决问题的即时性和定性方面的指标可以解释学生代数知识中的大量差异，这些差异超出了学生的已有知识。学生的策略效率和策略规划与学生的数学解题成绩呈正相关。虽然几乎所有问题都有提示，但只有少数学生表现出较高的寻求帮助行为，而游戏中成绩最低但最需要帮助的学生表现出较低的寻求帮助行为。对实践和/或政策的启示将学生进行分类，可以识别出解决问题能力水平不同的学生，帮助教师提供更加个性化的教学。教师可以利用这些信息作为形成性评估，以确定需要干预的核心领域，尤其是在游戏中教授的数学概念上有困难的学生。可能需要采取教学策略，使提示对学生更有吸引力或更有吸引力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

British Journal of Educational Technology EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH-

CiteScore

15.60

自引率

4.50%

发文量

111

期刊介绍： BJET is a primary source for academics and professionals in the fields of digital educational and training technology throughout the world. The Journal is published by Wiley on behalf of The British Educational Research Association (BERA). It publishes theoretical perspectives, methodological developments and high quality empirical research that demonstrate whether and how applications of instructional/educational technology systems, networks, tools and resources lead to improvements in formal and non-formal education at all levels, from early years through to higher, technical and vocational education, professional development and corporate training.